War of Both Worlds
by J-Rod67
Summary: Years after the digidestined have retired from saving the world and have moved on with their lives, a war comes to their world. The digidestined have to save the world...again. But what if one is missing, and he is the key? R&R Tai/Sora; Matt/OC; TK/Kari
1. Chapter 1

_Hey this is my first Digimon Fanfic, so I would appreciate some tips. I read a story like this, and wanted to put my own twist on it. So other than the basic idea, this is completely my own! But I don't own Digimon...unfortunately, or I would have made Sora and Tai end up together, and TK and Kari, and Mimi and Joe. Yeah, anyways, here ya go!_

Prologue

The world is half destroyed. Half the population is gone, the environment is on the fritz, and animals are going extinct. Wait, let's back up a bit. First, you need to know what happened after the digidestined saved the world for what seemed would be the last time.

Everything went back to normal. The group would take down a mischievous digimon that wanted to take over the world and go back to the human world. Davis would still call TK by the wrong name and he would fight with TK over Kari, Cody was still practicing kendo, and everything was normal. More and more digimon were being partnered with kids around the world and eventually, within a couple of years, almost every single child within the ages of 10 and 20 had a digimon, and even most adults had a digimon. They practically would grow up together.

Around 5 years later, a war broke out. But it wasn't a normal war; it was a war involving digimon and also a world war. World War III, to be exact. There were many different groups and alliances. United States and Canada, Italy and France, and many others had formed alliances, but also, they were having wars within them that would decide who was in charge. It was all really bad and many people were killed. Anywhere you went; there was fighting and no where was safe.

The digidestined had all gone their separate ways years ago. They had gone off to college and yes, they still kept in touch, but they only talked every once in a while, and they hardly ever hung out. Tai went on to play soccer in college and was set to be a professional player as soon as he was out of college. Sora owned her mother's flower shop but kept up with playing soccer and tennis by coaching both. Matt was still in band and they had a record deal. Kari went on to study photography and Izzy was the head of technology at a big company and Joe went on to studying to be a doctor. Everyone was doing what they really wanted to do, and of course, their digimon were right there with them.

But then the war broke out. Not all at once, first it started in Europe, then spread to Africa and Asia, and finally North and South America. The original and second generation digidestined regrouped as much as possible, but they were missing a key component: Tai and Agumon. They had disappeared right before the war broke out in Japan. That left it up to the rest of them to pick up the slack. Matt took over as leader of the group, with Davis being his second in command. They pulled together, and were working to get the world back in order. The rest of the digidestined held up their parts around the world, but most of them gathered in Japan which had been set up as their HQ.

Slowly, they were gaining peace back. They had taken over Odaiba and their old home Highton View Terrace, and that was now being held as a safe haven. They were rounding up as many teenagers as they could, but they weren't doing too well. The wild digimon were on their side and were helping them, but by the way this was going, the world would be destroyed. Japan was a little bit over half taken back, and they were working mostly in the United States from starting at the East Coast and moving across the border, where Willis was heading the organization there.

But they were losing ground. More and more teenagers were siding with the gangs of the countries and fighting for power, and less with the Digidestined and peace. Matt was losing it over the stress, and his team wasn't working as well with each other any more. They had secured most of Japan, but for now, that was where it stopped. And that is where our story begins.

Chapter 1

5 years later

Matt

He slammed his fist on the desk in front of him. Things were turning for the worse. They had just lost a section of Japan that had some of their supplies stored and he had lost two of his best digimon and warriors. This war was getting worse all the time, and now the people in Japan were fighting back. They had just captured part of China, but they lost part of Japan. It was a win and a loss.

Davis walked in just then, and Matt ran his hand through his shaggy blonde hair. When Davis came in, there could be no good news. They had started to fight lately, so they tried to keep out of each others way, but they talked at least once a week, and more when there was news, which was hardly ever good news.

"Matt, we've got some problems. It would seem the Cobras are trying to take over the rest of the area they just captured. They regrouped and are doing another attack, and we don't have enough resources to hold them back for long. I can pull from other areas, but that would leave them less protected until the end of that fight," he explained, sighing. Davis had grown up a lot in the last few years. He was still a kid deep down, but he was less sarcastic and he rushed into situations less. He was a lot like Tai had become after their first adventure to the Digiworld, which is part of the tension between them.

As much as Matt was rivals with Tai, they were also the closest of friends and he missed his friend. But after searching for a year by sending out numerous scouts, he had finally given up hope. If Tai wanted to be found, then he would have been found already. Either he was hiding or he was dead, and personally, Matt thought the latter was true.

"Are you serious? They just attacked! How could they have that many warriors that they could attack less than a day later, even when they lost half of their attacking warriors from the first one? Are they that powerful?" Matt yelled, frustrated. What could they do? He didn't want to lose that part, but he also didn't want to leave any other location undefended. He pulled out his cell phone and pushed a button. After a few seconds a voice could be heard. "Yolei, send Izzy in here from the lab with our numbers. Yes, now. I don't care what you are doing! Thanks." He clicked his phone shut.

He walked around to the front of his desk and sat down, oblivious to Davis standing there. The room was small, but it served his purposes well. All he needed was a good desk and a good computer system. They couldn't afford much, because they had to leave at the first sign of being compromised. The one thing he had that was a personal touch was a framed picture of the digidestined; all of them, from Tai and Agumon down to Cody and Digmon. He carried it with him to every new place as one of his few happy memories from the past. It gave him something to fight for and something to believe in.

Within a few minutes, Izzy walked through the doors. He was the same as always, dressed in black pants and a button up shirt and his reddish hair was messy and longer than it had been in high school. During their first and second adventure, he usually had a composed look on his face, but now, his face sagged and he had bags under his eyes. It was a usual thing for Izzy nowadays, since the guy hardly got any sleep.

"What is it Matt? I was doing some really intense research on a new device that could help us win this war," Izzy said, obviously annoyed. It's not like Matt wasn't used to it by now, since just about everyone was annoyed with him. Hell, he was annoyed with himself.

Matt stood up, and luckily he was still taller than Izzy so he could intimidate him. "Oh, it's nothing important except for the fact that we are about to lose another area! We've already lost one today, and unless your device can wipe out an entire attacking army, this is more important. I need to know if we can afford to protect that area or not. I won't lose any more areas if I can help it!" he yelled, slamming his fist once again on his desk. They just didn't get it! If things kept going like they were, they would lose. Sure, they had taken over most of Japan, and were doing well in the U.S., but that wasn't even a quarter of the world.

He didn't even hear Izzy moving towards him but he did feel a hand on his shoulder. Matt looked up from the ground, and saw his friend from many years ago. It was the Izzy of his past, the one who loved data and technology, but who also was a great friend. "Matt, you can't keep doing this to yourself. Hold on for just a minute, and then we'll talk," Izzy said. Matt just nodded. He was exhausted, physically, mentally, and emotionally, so at this point, he'd do anything to just not think for a minute.

Like a zombie, he walked and sat down at his desk; slowly, he put his head in his hands, tuning out of the world for just a moment. But he still heard what was going on.

"Yeah, Cody, tell each area leader to send 100 of their warriors. Send the ones that are in the average ranks. Yes, as soon as possible. Also, tell them to keep their best digimon on watch for as long as the fight goes on." There was a pause, and since Matt didn't hear any talking, he assumed Izzy was on the phone. Cody was head of the general of their army. Surprising, yes, but he knew tactics, and people respected him. He was well liked and people followed his orders. "Oh, and tell Joe he needs to go with them. People will be getting hurt, and we need our best doctor on site. But tell him to take extra precaution so make sure to take Gomamon. That's it. Tell him to be safe, and thanks Cody."

Matt heard a snap, and knew that the phone call was ended. Not only was Izzy smart with technology, but he was a strategist, so Matt trusted him with the army.

"Ok, Matt, now we need to talk. You're a great leader Matt, but even leaders need some time to talk things out. You can't be strong all the time," Izzy told him. Matt looked up once again, but he said nothing. What could he say? He was the leader, and people looked up to him. He couldn't let anyone see him as weak.

Davis piped up at that time. "Matt, just talk to us. I shouldn't say anything, because Lord knows I've been keeping everything in for years. I have frustrations that I have only told a few people. But you need to let go at times," Davis added, for once sounding smart and concerned.

"I have to be strong, Izzy. I can't fail anyone, like others have failed," Matt whispered. If there was one person that he could talk to, it was Izzy. Everyone seemed to have some judgmental qualities, but Izzy just wanted him to feel better.

Izzy sighed. "Matt, you won't fail anyone if you let yourself feel a little bit of emotion. You don't have to be strong all the time. You have your friends to help you through everything, including me. You took over after Tai disappeared, but Matt, don't put down him or yourself. We don't know what happened to him. He was our leader, and he was our friend. Just like you. He was a great leader, and he made some of the greatest decisions that anyone could make. And you're already like that. You have led us through the darkest times, and from here, you are just going to get stronger and smarter," Izzy responded, getting closer to Matt's face, trying to emphasize his point. Matt heard him, but he still couldn't comprehend it.

"Tai was always so strong, and he knew what he was doing. He put faith behind his choices, and everyone trusted him. We trusted him so much that we fell apart every time he left. I may have hated him at times for it, but that was because I was jealous. He was also my best friend, and I know I'll never be as good of a leader as he was," Matt practically whimpered.

By that point, Matt could tell Izzy had had it. He slammed his palms down on the desk and leaned towards the leader. "Matt, you listen to me! You are our leader and a great one at that. If no one thought that then you wouldn't be leader. Everyone trusts you with their lives, and that makes you just as good of a leader as Tai. With your help, we will win this war. If you left right now, we would be lost. There is no one here who could take your place," Izzy asserted. Unexpectedly, Davis's fist slammed into his cheek. It wasn't a very powerful punch, but it surprised him and hurt him all the same.

Matt stood up abruptly, and was about to tackle him when it hit him. Davis and Izzy didn't want to hurt him; they merely wanted him to get a clear head. And it reminded him of Tai. Even when Matt didn't think Tai was right or he thought that Tai was being stupid, it ended up that Tai helped clear Matt's head. And with that punch, it felt like Tai was right there in the room. He touched his hand to his cheek. _Tai, thank you. I know that I'll never be as good of a leader as you, but I can try and do my best. I hope you're all right, my friend._

"Thanks, Izzy, thanks, Davis. I really needed that. I'm not perfect and eventually I would have broken down. But, I know now that I can't be the perfect leader, and I'm bound to make mistakes. I can't be as good of a leader as Tai, but I can be the best leader that I am capable of being. And I think we need a change of pace," Matt replied, touching his face. It would be bruised, but the bruise would remind him of what he had found out today.

Izzy seemed perplexed at his last statement. "I think we need to do something different. So far I have kept our forces all here. We have conquered most of Japan, and in a few days, we will have conquered it all. But now, we need something different," Matt said, a smiling slowly spreading across his face. "Izzy, gather the digidestined. We will meet in a week. And everyone must come. I think I have a plan."


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey guys, thanks for the reviews! Because I got such a great number of hits, I decided to post another chapter! But for the next chapter, I'll post it next week. But if I get over 7 more reviews, I'll post early!_

_Amaya-CheshireNeko - Thanks for the review, and I think you'll like this chapter based on what you want to know:)_

_K.K.o.t.S.S. - Yeah, I know it's kinda slow, but trust me, it'll pick up here real soon. I'm working on the 4th chapter, and things are about to get real interesting. This chapter is still kind of slow, but its more interesting than the last:)_

_aime0x - Thanks for the encouragement:) I have finally figured out where I'm going with this, and based on the one I read, its not going to be like that. I'm hoping it will kind of evolve into its own plot._

_Anyways, I don't own Digimon, or else this season of it would still be running, and I would have it incorporate the other seasons. Yup, thats definitely what I would do._

Chapter 2

TK

This was definitely strange. He hadn't heard from his brother in months. He had been on a mission out in America, helping out Willis along with Yolei. They had been working on capturing the rest of Virginia when Matt had called a mandatory meeting for the digidestined. It was strange, even for his brother. There were more important things to do than having a lovely team reunion.

But he wasn't one to question Matt. So a week after his call, there TK was in the old convention center. It was where their headquarters was located for this week, so it made sense to meet there. He and Yolei had been the first one there, but within the hour everyone had arrived. It had been months, and even a year since he had seen some of them. The first one there had besides them had been Mimi. She had let her hair go back to brown after the war had started, but had kept it short. She still had a fashion sense, but instead of her old outfit, she had settled for black shorts and black, sleek tennis shoes along with a white skin tight, long sleeved shirt. She was still fashionable, but now, she was able to fight and travel in comfort too.

Next, were Cody and Joe. They hadn't changed too much. Joe still had his long blue hair, but instead of a button up shirt and coat, he had on a doctor's coat. He had become a doctor right before the war by going through a speedy program, and now he was the DDO's (DigiDestinedOrganization) head doctor. Cody had changed quite a bit though. He was taller now; almost as tall as Joe now, and his brown hair had grown and was shaggy. He now wore a black uniform which resembled a cross between a general's and a ninja's outfit. But TK could still see the kidish side in his face, and that made him happier than he could ever imagine. Next were Matt, Izzy, and Davis, two who hadn't changed too much. Matt's hair was shaggier, but he wore a white shirt under a button up black shirt, and a pair of black pants. Davis's hair was less shaggy and curly and had become short and trimmed, but he wore a black leather jacket over a white t-shirt and a pair of jeans. He looked much older than he had, but his grin was still the same. Izzy looked the same as he had just seen him a couple of months ago.

Finally, right before the meeting was supposed to start was Ken and Sora. Ken hadn't changed much at all. The only thing was his outfit, and he simply wore a pair of jeans and a plain white jacket, resembling the one he wore when he had first met him. Sora on the other hand, had changed a lot. In a way, she had reverted back to her old self before high school. She was back in a pair of jeans and tennis shoes, but she had still dropped the hat. Her red hair was straight and past her shoulders. She wore a black tank top and black gloves now. It hurt to see her, since her and Matt hadn't worked out. It wasn't either of their faults, but after the war had started, Matt was too busy, and Sora was in another country, leading a small, but growing group there.

There were two people who weren't there. One was to be expected, but Kari was missing. It was strange. She was one of the few other digidestined he had kept in contact with, not only because he was absolutely in love with her, but also because she was his best friend. About 6 months ago, she had called him telling him she would be out of touch for a few weeks or so, because she was going into a country where half their technology had been destroyed so there were no cell phones, laptops, or even walkie-talkies. When she hadn't called even after a month, he had been worried, but Yolei had told him not to, and that Kari could take care of herself.

They sat around a large office table, as though they were in a meeting. Matt was at the head of the table, near the door, and TK was seated to his left, while Davis sat to his right. When everyone took their seats, Matt began.

"Ok, it's really great to see all of you. But, I can't really let us get into too much pleasure and chatting right now. We have business to take care of. I was talking to Izzy earlier, and I think that we have been doing everything wrong," Matt said once he had gotten everyone quiet. TK tried to listen, and while he heard the words, they floated through one ear and out the other. All he could think about was Kari and if she was in trouble. Why wouldn't she be here? "-but we need to come together. Being scattered throughout the world hasn't done us any good. Sure, we've been getting by little by little, but together, we can take areas as large as Japan in a matter of a few weeks. I think that we are the only one's to end this war. We have been at war for 5 years, and where have we gotten? Japan, the east coast of the United States, and part of China. How long is it going to take to end the war altogether? We have defeated Piedmon, Appocalypmon, and Myotismon, so surely if we bind together, then we can end this war."

TK nodded, agreeing with his brother for the first time in a while. He looked around and found that others agreed with Matt too. His brother really was becoming a great leader. But just when Matt was going to say more, heels clacked from down the hall. Heads turned, and the whispers turned to silence before the doors were opened, and standing in the door was his love and best friend, Kari. But she didn't look the same. Just in the months that he hadn't seen her, she had changed quite a bit. She was all black and white, donning a black jacket, and one black glove on her right hand, with the finger tips cut off. She wore a white shirt under it that had one shoulder covered but slanted across her chest and left the other shoulder bare. Along with that, she wore white skinny jeans and over those tall boots that came up to almost her knee with what looked to be a two inch heal. But the biggest change was her hair. It wasn't short and innocent, but long and wild, flipped out in all different directions. It looked wild, but dangerous. Her eyes were more serious and focused. Her partner was right behind her, in her Nefertimon form.

"Hey Matt, sorry I'm late. We had a little bit of trouble getting out of there," she told him, and usually a smile would have been on her face, but at this point it was no where to be found. Her eyes were calm, but hard, and her mouth was in a tight line. TK glanced at his brother, and found that he looked shocked.

"I thought you...were gone. I was told you had gone off the radar and were deep in, possibly even dead," he half whispered.

TK abruptly stood up. "What? You thought she was dead and didn't tell me? Matt!" he yelled, but stopped himself from going further. "But we'll talk about that later." He pushed back his chair and walked over to Kari. He smiled at her, and waited for a smile back, but there was none. "Kari? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, TK. Finish what you started, Matt, and then I'll talk," Kari told them. Now she had him worried. Not only was she not smiling, she was getting right down to business. Sure, she was always a sensible person, but she always had time for him.

Matt nodded, and waited for TK to sit back down before he started again. "Well, I was just saying that we need to ban together, which will be easier now that you're here. If we go in groups, like we did when we had to split up around the world. We conquered it then, and we can do it again. Especially if we call on favors from our friends around the world," he continued, as if nothing had interrupted him. Sure, it wasn't the most elaborate, or complicated plan, but it was a plan and probably one of the few things that will work. "Go on Kari; tell us what you have found."

Kari pushed off from where she had been leaning against the wall. She looked like a dangerous cat on the prowl, with the grace lining her movements.

"I don't know if you all had been told, but I went deep into Egypt to try and get to one of the other digidestined. She had been heading a movement there, and they needed a bit of help taking down the opposing forces. So I went undercover, building up my ranks. The group was named after the destruction Egyptian god, Sekhmet, and Sekhmet's leader was neck and neck with my friend in a race for who could take over Egypt. They both had around two-fifths of the country, and there was just a little bit left. Whoever took over it first would be set to take over the rest of the country.

"I went in as a lowly, oh how should I say this, a lowly minion, I suppose. I had very little power, but slowly, Gatomon and I moved up in the ranks, showing more and more power as the days and battles went on. Eventually, we were in the top ranks. It took us a few months, much longer than we thought, but we did it. Just when they were about to take over the final city that would do it, we took them down from the inside. All of their machines and weapons were sabotaged, areas were booby trapped, and some warriors never made it to the battle. All in all, they were finished. The last thing for us to do was to get to the leader.

"It was the first time I had met him, so I didn't know what to expect. For one, he was no older than 30, and two, he was probably one of the toughest people I had ever met. I won't tell you much about that experience, except for one thing that he told me," Kari explained, moving about the room. She looked at them, but it was like she wasn't really seeing them. She was trapped in a memory, experiencing it once again. "He told me of a traveler that had come through a few months before I came into his ranks. The traveler had told him he didn't want to fight Sekhmet or his rivals because all he wanted was peace. He was mainly looking for something, and he wanted to talk with people. The leader didn't think anything of it, and wasn't going to kill him for absolutely nothing. So the traveler stayed for a few days, talking with different people, traveling back and forth between camps, and after that amount of time, he left along with a good number of his people. But he didn't just leave, they disappeared. One minute they were there, the next they weren't."

TK was listening with great concentration, but for all the minds in the world, he couldn't understand why she was telling them this. "So, what's the point, Kari? I mean, if this traveler was cute, that would be one thing, but you never even met him," Mimi asked impatiently. Even in this serious time, she could always make him smile. Her attitude towards boys and fashion never changed.

Kari stopped in her tracks, as though she had forgotten they were here. "I was getting to that. The traveler wasn't normal, because he also traveled with a digimon. Now, the leader said that they both wore black cloaks that covered most of their body and their faces, but he could tell that the digimon was yellow and about half the size of a normal human, and the human had a pair of goggles around his neck," Kari said, whispering the last part. There was total silence in the room, and you could have heard a needle drop.

"You can't…you can't mean that it could be…**Him**," Sora said, being the first to break the silence. After their final mission as a group of digidestined, Davis had given Tai back his goggles, after insisting that while they were both leaders, Tai was the true leader. So the only one who would have goggles…would be Tai.


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey guys, it's been a long week! But hey, here is the next chapter! One more chapter that I have finished, and then it will be longer between updates, because I haven't finished the rest of them. So, please review and I'll get it up faster than I would normally! I love to hear feedback of what you want to happen and what needs improving. So yeah, it's spring break and I'll try and update as soon as I can! 5 more reviews and I'll update in 4 days instead of 7!:)_

Chapter 3

TK

TK shook his head. "If he were alive and capable of traveling, he would be here. He would never leave us to fend for ourselves. That had to be someone else," he asserted. It was true. In all the years, when the digidestined had been splitting up, the only one who had stayed in contact with everyone was Tai.

Kari sighed, and he could have slapped himself. Kari had to be going through a lot. Tai was her brother and her idol, and it had to hurt a lot that the traveler could be him and he would just leave her. Hell, it hurt him a lot and he wasn't even related to him. "It was him. I wasn't finished. The leader saw them disappear, and there was a mark burned into the ground where they disappeared," Kari added. She paused for a minute, seemingly bracing herself for their reaction. "It was the crest of courage."

TK couldn't believe it. Tai was alive and he was traveling. Agumon was with him. They were alright! "This is great! If we can just find him, we can be back together again! It will be like the old days!" Davis exclaimed. But he was the only one voicing that side of things.

"Davis, you don't get this do you? Sure, Tai is out there, but that's just it. Why is he not here? How could he just get up and leave us?" Izzy told him. They were all a little shocked but also mad, confused, and even happy. TK could definitely by the looks on everyone's faces and the comments they were all making.

"And also, what is he doing? Why did he take those people?" added Yolei.

"Where did he go with them, too," Cody continued for her.

Matt stood up, and did what he usually did: paced. It wasn't unusual because TK knew it helped him think things through. Tai was, after all, Matt's best friend.

"Oh and there's more," Kari said loudly, above all of the noise. That definitely got people to quiet down. As soon as Matt stopped pacing, she continued. "I mentioned another digidestined that I was helping in Egypt. She said she had met Tai once. He didn't say much, but he did tell her he was trying to help, but they had to go with him to understand. Obviously, she didn't go with him and that was the last time she heard from him."

TK scrunched his eyes. "How does this help?" he asked. It wasn't like him to be a downer, but he had lost some trust in Tai and a lot of people. They had started to let him down over the years, and he had lost a lot of trust in the general population. The door to the conference room opened right then, and TK whirled around. This was a closed meeting, not open to just anyone.

But his mind was wiped clean when he saw the girl walk in, as he was sure any other guys mind was. The girl was gorgeous, with dark black hair falling in natural waves to a little below her shoulders, and bangs going across her face, covering part of one of her blue eyes. She wore black skinny jeans with high heel boots that reached just above her ankles. She wore a tight orange, short-sleeved shirt that had a white leather jacket over it. You could tell she worked out, and there were toned muscles underneath her jeans and jacket, but they only served her looks. All in all, she was really beautiful, but tough and she walked with a confidence that he usually only saw on arrogant girls.

"It helps because I know how to find your friend," the girl answered. Kari smiled at her and walked over to the girl to give her a hug.

Kari looked at the group and gestured towards her friend. "Everyone, this is the leader I was talking about. This is my friend, Andraya," she explained. Everyone gave her a warm welcome, and TK was impressed by her entrance.

"Never, ever call me Andraya. Kari here just knows I could never hurt her, so she does it to bug me. Call me Ray or I will personally have you murdered, and I have the firepower to back me up," Ray said pointing back to behind her. In walked a digimon that looked, in TK's mind, sort of like a bear and a dog crossed together, but orange and had a flame on their tail.

Davis chuckled from the back. "Well isn't he cute. What's his name?" he asked, slipping back into his old habits of talking before thinking.

Suddenly, Davis was thrown back against the wall gripping his stomach and slip to the floor. "You realize you can address me directly? I'm not a stupid animal, unlike you. And as you can see, I do pack quite a punch and I'm not afraid to use it. To answer your question, my name is Coronamon," the digimon told them, with his fist still raised. Everyone who had been talking quieted down, and Davis' smile left his face.

"Coronamon, calm. There is no point in hurting them," Ray said, walking to Coronamon. She smiled at the digimon, and Coronamon lowered his hands. She then walked over to Davis and offered him a hand up, which he took. "Sorry about that, but Coronamon and I don't take insults or jokes lightly. Being the leader of all of Egypt hasn't left us any time for it."

"How old are you exactly? You don't look old enough to be leading a whole country," Yolei commented.

Ray laughed and responded, "Yeah, I'm 23 and I became leader a year and a half ago, when the last leader, my mother, died and put me in charge."

TK saw a few eyes widened at her age, including his. How could she be so young and lead a whole country? The better question was how could she do it and lead them well? She was barely an adult. Not only that, but her mother was the leader before her, and she had just died. How impressive could this girl get.

"Ray, as much as I would love to hear all about what's been happening in Egypt, and I mean that truthfully, I need you to tell us how to find Tai," Matt cut in before everyone could keep asking questions about her life. TK could tell he meant that he was interested, and already, TK knew Matt liked her. Maybe it was just her first impression on everyone, but he could tell.

Ray nodded, and she took a deep breath. "Your friend, Tai, he said to go with him, and at this point, for your sake I wish I would have. But he did give me a few hints. I didn't realize it at the time, but it was a way to find him," she told them.

_Flashback_

_Ray was walking back through her camp in Cairo, when someone called out her name. It was strange since most people were to busy getting ready for an upcoming battle or taking care of the sick or wounded. _

"_Andraya, I need to talk with you. Now," came a voice. Ray turned around, ready to command whoever was talking to call her Ray, but she didn't know him. He wore a black cloak over his shoulders and a hood covered most of his face, and his small friend was the same way, but she knew that the small one was a digimon. _

"_First of all, it's Ray, and second, you need to make an appointment. I'm very busy, since, I don't know if you've noticed, but there is a war going on," she responded and started to walk away._

_She felt a hand on her shoulder that turned her back around. Coronamon, who had been hanging to the side, started to walk bring up his fists and walk closer, but Ray held out a hand for him to stop, to which he complied. "You need to listen to me. I need to talk with you, before I talk with the rest of your people," he continued, and when she realized the guy wasn't going to give up, she nodded._

_They walked to the side of the street, and sat down on a bench. Luckily, he next war meeting wouldn't be for another half hour, so she had time. "So tell me what it is you just have to tell me about," she said._

"_I am a digidestined, and I having been traveling, far and wide, here and there, but here I am, away from both my home and his. I've been gathering people to help with a project I'm working on. It's not much of a project, but that's the best word I can come up with. I know that you won't want anyone to leave, but it's their choice. You are welcome to come, and I would love to have you there. You're a great leader, and I'm sure that people are very inspired by you. What I'm trying to say is that I have a plan, and I'm recruiting people to go with me to my base. I need to talk with your people here, and see if anyone would like to be involved," he explained. The guy seemed to be struggling for the right words, but Ray understood. What he was trying to do, she didn't know._

_Ray nodded. "Ok, I will allow you to talk with them. Can you tell me anything else? I'm curious as to your plan," she asked._

_He shook his head. "Even I'm not certain of all of my plans yet. We are working as we go. But I can tell you that the people that go with me will be safer than they are here," he replied. Ray sighed, but she led him to her war meeting, and asked that her generals postponed it and gathered all of her people in the Assembly Hall in their convention center. He spoke, and about 10 people went with him. Six of them were children, and the rest were older than 20 but none older than 35, but no elders. The elders were few in number, and those that were alive were leaders in her army._

_He left with one more thing that he said as they were leaving. "If any of you change your mind, I will be back soon enough. I only make two trips to each place, but you need to make your choice. Where I'm going, there aren't many chances to come back. There are some who know how to find me, but never think to look there. Good-bye, and thank you, Ray," he said. And with that, him and his group disappeared into a light, leaving what looked like a burning sun in the ground at the back of the Assembly Hall._

There was silence in the room, each digidestined digesting what she had just said. TK knew that some things that Tai had said were important, but he couldn't figure out what they meant.

Izzy was the first one to speak up. "Tai…I always knew he was alive. And now we know where to look for him," he said quietly. He may not have meant to speak it out loud, but everyone heard him.

"Wait, we do? Because as far as I can tell, he never said exactly where they were going," Ken replied.

"You can't figure it out? It's simple. He gave a bunch of hints. Maybe he knew we would hear about it, or maybe he was just giving them hints as to where to find him, but either way, we know now," Sora said, smiling a bit. Her eyes were shining and TK figured that this was the first time she had been happy in a very long time.

Joe coughed. "Well, yeah, ok, then where is he?" he asked impatiently.

Kari smiled. "He's in the Digital World."


	4. Chapter 4

_So, I really like this chapter. It took me a while, but I got it. I love how many people have read this! Although, I would like more reviews…But hey, I'll take what I can get! Anyways, here is the story _

_I don't own digimon…grrr _

Chapter 4

Sora

She couldn't believe it. Tai was alive. She hadn't even had hope for him to be alive; much less had hoped to find him. Years ago, she had thought she liked him. But after the digimon adventure, she had convinced herself that it wasn't true and he couldn't possibly like her. She couldn't possible like her best friend and so, Sora had buried her feelings. She even went out with Matt to hide them. But even Matt couldn't get rid of those feelings. She did love him, but the feelings weren't strong enough to last the war. They broke up, and they moved on with their lives. It hadn't ruined their friendship, in fact, it had brought them closer. But they both realized one thing was missing from their lives, but for different reasons: Tai. Matt missed his best friend, and well, Sora missed the love that she never explored.

But now there was hope. He was alive and they knew where he was. Well, in a general sense.

"So we need to find him. That's all there is to it. Tai is out there, waiting and we need him," Davis said at last. A few of the digidestined nodded, but Matt took the floor once again.

"We can't just leave this world undefended. We aren't just fighting for ourselves here; we are fighting for the safety of hundreds of thousands of people and digimon. Some of us can go, but we need to keep the image that all of us are still here. Out of the ten that are here, we need 4 to go to the Digiworld to find him, and the rest have to stay and cover. We need to keep up the illusion that all of us are here," Matt said, looking at everyone individually.

"You miscounted. There are eleven of us here, and I am going with you," Ray interjected.

Matt shook his head. "No way, not going to happen. You have a country to run, and there's no way you could abandon them," he responded. Sora knew he was thinking of himself too. He couldn't leave DDO to go search for Tai, but he wanted to.

Ray chuckled. "My second in command is running it for now. He'll do well enough for a little while. I'm the one who gave you this information, so I deserve to go search for him. If you won't take me, I'll find my own way there," she replied, smirking. Sora knew that Matt couldn't fight her on this.

He shook his head, but he was smiling. "Ok, I can't argue on that. We just need to find out who is going to find Tai. Only four more can go, and as much as I want to go, I can't. I can't leave these people," he said sighing.

Kari stood. "I'm going. He's my brother, and if anyone deserves to find him, it's me."

Matt nodded but said nothing. After a minute, Davis said, "Matt, you need to go. I'm your second in command, and I can take over for you while you go. I'm not just that child I was way back when. I can do it." He looked so serious and sincere, that Matt just nodded again and smiled. They sat in silence, and Sora went back and forth so many times in her head, she was getting whiplash. He was her best friend. But she crushed him. But she missed him so much. But he probably never wanted to see her again. But she loved him.

"I want to go," she finally said. Everyone looked at her, and she could feel the shock. They all knew how close the two used to be, but everyone knew that they hadn't been on the best of terms since, well, Matt. But she was determined to get past that, and this would be the new beginning. No one said anything, but she took that as an agreement that she would go, for no one said she couldn't.

"And I'll make up the last of the bunch," TK finished. No one argued, which was a surprise. Sora had figured that everyone would want to go, but she figured that it was because they all knew who needed to go, no matter who really wanted to go.

After a pause, Matt stood up. "Ok, now we've got a plan. Davis will lead, while TK, Sora, Ray, Kari and I go to the Digiworld to find Tai," Matt recapped.

"And what if he doesn't want to be found?" came Joe's voice. They all turned towards the doctor who hadn't said anything since that had come to the meeting.

Kari slammed her hands down on the table. "I'm going to find my brother! He would want to be found by us. I just know he misses us. I just know it," she said, slowly losing volume, whispering by the end.

They all stared at her. Sora had hardly seen this side of Kari. She was usually the calm, collected one. The only time anyone had seen the girl flustered was when she was taken to the Dark Ocean. To see her worked up; well, no one wanted to get in her way, and surprisingly, Sora found herself believing Kari's words. Tai would be found and he would come back with them.

"Uh, ok, we leave tomorrow. Gather your things, and meet back here. We will group at 8 in the morning sharp. Don't be late," Matt continued from before he could be interrupted any more. They all nodded. For the first time in months, things seemed to be looking up. They might not have a great plan for right now, but at least they were on their way to finding Tai. Sora was definitely ecstatic. With those last words, the meeting was done, and they all stood up. Some of the digidestined stayed to talk, while others went their separate ways for now. Sora wanted to talk with Kari. They used to be close, but they hadn't talked in a while, and she had a few questions for the younger girl.

Sora pushed her hair behind her ears, and walked over to Kari where she was conversing with the new girl, Ray.

"-have to go, you know. I mean, you owe us nothing, and I know that your people need you. We can never repay you for what you brought us," Kari was saying. She looked over and saw Sora, to whom she smiled. "Hey Sora, good to see you." They hugged quickly, before Sora turned to Ray and smiled.

"Hey, I'm Sora, if you couldn't just guess by what Kari said," Sora introduced, sticking out her hand. Ray nodded and shook her hand with a firm, tight grip. Sora could tell there was a lot of strength behind her, hidden talents and secrets that would take a lot of digging to find out.

Ray then turned back to Kari. "I don't expect anything from you guys. It was my pleasure to bring news of your friend, but I need to do this. I can't explain it, but I have to go to the Digiworld. I have learned to trust my instincts, and my instincts are telling me I need to be with you every step of the way," she explained, and somehow, Sora understood her meaning. There were some things that each person had to do and no matter what anyone said to them, they could never be dissuaded from doing it. In fact, she felt that right then.

"Do whatever your heart is telling you, I just don't want your people to suffer because of us," Kari replied, softly touching Ray's shoulder.

Ray chuckled. "My people are probably glad to be rid of me for a week, because I tend to get annoying after a while. I'm a very persistent person," she told them, smiling a bit. "Besides, Chris is perfectly capable of running the country. He was sick of me anyways, although I'll miss him. And if you ever tell him I said that, I'll personally set Coronamon on you." Her voice had softened a bit when she talked about Chris, and Sora wondered if there was something possibly going on between them. Ray said she had some business to attend to before they left, so she said her good-byes and told them they would see her bright and early tomorrow.

Sora turned back to Kari, who smiled at her. Without a word, they gave each other a long, well deserved hug. It was like she had been missing a part of her family.

"Kari, I've missed you!" she exclaimed, finally letting it out.

"I know, I've missed you too. I'm sorry I haven't seen you since before my mission, but, well, things have been crazy," Kari replied, sighing as if this wasn't the first time she had been mad about the time away.

Sora nodded, and her eyes softened at the girl. "As much as I'd just like to get into all of the gossip and catching up, we need to talk. I need to know…why did Tai leave? Do you have any idea why?" she asked, her voice almost breaking. For so long she hadn't let any of it bother her, but now that they were so close, she couldn't help but break a little.

Sora found out what people meant about eyes telling a whole story at that moment. Kari's eyes went from the happy, calm person she was, to a cloudy, faraway look. Her eyes scrunched together, and she had a feeling Kari wasn't seeing Sora, but was thinking back to the last time she had seen her brother.

"No, I have no idea why he left. But I remember the last conversation we had, to a tee," Kari told her, a tear slipping down her cheek.

_5 Years Ago_

_Kari opened the door to her apartment and squealed at who was leaning in her doorway. She jumped at him, and put her arms around her big brother, whom she hadn't seen in a few weeks, with both of them traveling, him for soccer and her for her photography internship. It was the longest they'd been away from each other in years. _

"_Tai! I thought you weren't going to be back for another two days!" she exclaimed, smiling broadly. He smiled back at her, but she could tell that something was bothering him._

"_I took an early flight. I missed you and all of my friends so much," he replied, hugging her tightly again. She was surprised, but just glad that he was home again. His soccer team often traveled around Japan and out of the country to go play, so he would be away for a few weeks at a time, going from one place to another. _

_Kari stepped back, and looked at him. She could tell he had been playing soccer, with his tan lines. He was taller and more muscular now than he was way back when, and his hair was a bit calmer, and was a lighter brown from all of the sun. He was older, and even looked more mature. _

"_Come on, we'll have some lunch. So tell me all about your trip to Egypt," Kari said, pulling him into her apartment. Her roommate was already gone out to work so they had the whole place to themselves. _

_Tai told her all about his trip and how hot it was there. He mentioned how the game went, how they went to a club and partied after they won, but he seemed really distracted through everything. He kept trailing off, but tried to play it off of as thinking back to the trip. Kari knew he was lying._

_She finally rested her elbows on the table and leaned forward. "Tai, tell me what's bothering you. You're my brother, I can tell," Kari said, raising one eyebrow in expectancy. He leaned back in his chair and sighed. _

"_Nothing, just a lot on my mind these days. I feel like I'm back in the Digiworld, my mind is that far away. I want to go back again, right now, but we can't. I feel like some day, we will, but just not soon. Maybe we'll save the world again, or maybe, it will be to bring digimon to everyone, and not just some people. Two worlds where humans and digimon could live in peace, how great would that be?" he replied. Kari didn't understand why he was saying all of this. But she didn't question him out loud, even though internally her thoughts were racing a thousand miles a minute_

_So she just nodded. "That would be a great world, but it won't happen. Even now, there are people who hate the digimon," she replied, for once being the downer. She was usually optimistic, but now, she was doubting everything._

_Tai reached over to her and tilted her chin up. "Little sister, to lose faith is to lose the will to believe, and if you don't believe, then everything is lost," he replied, and she nodded, smiling. Leave it to him to cheer her up, even when he was still being mysterious. "You know I love you, right? Never think anything different. Now, I have to go see everyone else, before…before tomorrow."_

_Kari nodded, and stood up, hugging him once again. "What's tomorrow?" she asked after a second of realizing what he had said. _

_He shrugged, but she could tell she had caught him saying something he didn't mean to. "Just more soccer practice, and I won't be able to see them until for a while because of soccer and school," he replied slowly. She nodded, but didn't quite believe him. But on the other hand, why would he lie to her._

Sora could see that Tai had seen everything coming ahead of time. Which made her wonder how? He usually never thought that far ahead. He was always the rash one, doing things without thinking about them. Why was then different?

"He knew. He knew ahead of time. That's why he came and saw everyone when the whole group was in town for once. He had said that he wouldn't be able to come, but he made it back," Sora said, in shock. She had wondered why he had suddenly appeared at Izzy's house. Usually he was so busy with soccer he couldn't hang out at all. "How? He knew about the war the _day_ _before_ it came to Japan. And he didn't warn us about it."

Kari nodded, probably having already had this figured out in her mind. But Sora was just getting it through her head. This wasn't the same Tai she knew from childhood. If he had changed that much, that he wouldn't trust his friends, then how much had he changed now?

"They are coming."

"Yes, I know."

"Are you ready?"

"I'm ready, but the question is are they? They might not like what they find. Things have changed, more than anyone could have known." The figure stepped out of the shadows, and looked over the land below them.

"And the extra?"

"Leave them to me. We can't be sure they are ready, and I have obstacles to keep them from succeeding. If they pass, let them come, even the extra."


	5. Chapter 5

_So, this is actually a longer chapter than normal. I figured I'd try and give you more. Sorry for how long it has taken me! I have been stuck on this chapter. I will try and be faster next time, but I would ESPECIALLY be fast if you reviewed! Thank you to all who reviewed, and I really appreciate it. I will be better about answering your reviews in the future. Now here ya go!_

_I don't own digimon…grrr _

Chapter 5

Kari

Time seemed to slow down. One minute took one hour, and one hour took ten hours. It was the slowest night of her life. She had known that the most sleep she would get would be a couple of hours, and those would be restless at best. How could she sleep? Tai was out there, and they were going to find him! She didn't care where he was or how long it took them to find him, they would do it. She couldn't rest now that she knew where he was.

Things in her apartment hadn't changed that much. The building was a bit run down, and things were dusty, since the war had chased most people out, but this was her place, her home.

Kari cleaned as the night went on. She didn't pay attention to what she was doing, because her mind was elsewhere. Sora's words kept ringing through her head like a bell. Why hadn't he taken her with him? Or at the least why hadn't he warned them? They were his friends, and she was his family. Tai had to have a good reason to leave without a word. The question was what it was.

Finally, the time came for her to make her way over to the convention center. She picked up her bag, and took one last look at her apartment. Kari knew that she wouldn't be seeing this place for quite a while. Even though they had been annoying when she lived here, she would miss the squeak in the floor boards that always sounded when she stepped into her bedroom, and she would miss the way it got really cold in the mornings and really hot at night no matter what the temperature it was. It's the little things you don't appreciate until they are about to be gone; such as her brother Tai. She hadn't realized just how much he meant to her until he was long gone.

Kari closed the door, afraid that she would stay there all day just trying to memorize what she was leaving behind. Kari pulled her back pack over her shoulders and made her way over to the convention center, which was just a five minute walk from her apartment. She figured no one would be there yet, since she was going at around 7:15, but it looks like almost everyone was there, except for Izzy and Mimi. Apparently the rest of the digidestined had come to see off the ones who were going to the Digiworld. Kari noticed Ray leaning against the wall away from the others. She knew her friend wasn't the most social person, so it didn't strike her as strange, especially when she didn't know Tai or the others in any way.

Then she thought about Mimi, and decided Mimi probably was still sleeping. That girl sure did like her sleep. But even before she finished the thought, Mimi came in, looking, well, badass. Dark sunglasses, hair pulled back in a short pony tail, brown jacket, short, torn up light black shorts, and black, sleek tennis shoes.

"Wow, Mimi. I can't believe this is still the same girl who was afraid of bugs and never wanted to walk anywhere just a few years again," Matt commented smiling at her. Kari saw that Joe was staring at him, practically drooling. She had always known he had a thing for her, and from the glances Mimi was giving Joe, it was mutual.

Mimi shrugged. "Yeah, well, I've done a lot of growing up in the past few years. Just like we all have," she replied, smiling. Even her voice and her speech were more mature now. She was a different person than usual, but in her eyes, you could see she was still the fun, fashion loving girl. Everyone nodded, and then went back to their business. People were busy getting ready to leave, and waiting for their digimon to come back. Gatomon had separated yesterday, to go run a quick mission with most of the other digimon, but they were back and getting prepared.

Speak of the devil, the digimon came through the doors. Gatomon walked over to her and the cat purred. "I missed you Kari. We haven't been apart for more than a day since this war started," she purred to her. Kari nodded in agreement.

"It was very lonely last night. I couldn't shut off my mind," she replied, her eyes softening at her partner since childhood. There was no closer friend she could name. Maybe TK, or maybe Tai, but other than that, it was Gatomon who knew Kari better than even she knew herself. Kari felt Gatomon's paw cover her hand, and Kari felt immediately better.

They turned back to the rest of the group, and she overheard Matt talking with Davis. "Ok, so you've informed the group leaders that you will be taking over for a while? Don't forget to have the noon briefing with everyone, and for God's sake, Davis, be careful," Matt told him. Kari could tell he was stressing out about leaving and putting Davis in charge, but Davis seemed to be brushing it off.

"Matt, don't worry. I know what to do. I go to everything with you every day anyways, so I'll just be the one making the decision. I was a leader before, and I can do it again. Everything will be fine," Davis assured him, putting his hands on both sides of Matt's shoulders for emphasis. Davis looked towards the side of the room, and spoke again, almost in a whisper. "Just…find him, Matt." Kari knew that Davis had taken Tai's disappearance really hard, mostly because Tai had been the one Davis went to advice. Tai was his hero, and when he disappeared…it was like there was something missing in his life.

Matt nodded, and they stepped apart. Luckily, Izzy chose that moment to burst into the room with his laptop in hand. But Kari knew the second she saw his face that something was wrong. Tentomon was following close behind, his buzzing more insistent, and that was also a sign he was worried. This was not going to be good.

Izzy practically slammed his laptop down, and Kari could see the bags in his eyes. "Matt, we have a problem," he said, already furiously typing away on his laptop. Everyone gathered around his laptop, and Matt gestured for him to explain. "I thought I could handle it, but I'm not finding any way around it."

He paused and opened what Kari recognized as the entrance to the Digiworld. But there was something different. It was red. Nothing was opening up on the screen. "As you can see, the Digiworld is closed. It won't open, and no one can get to, or from, the Digiworld," Izzy explained. Kari couldn't believe it. She clenched her fists. This was not good. If no one could get to or from the Digiworld, then that means they couldn't find Tai.

Matt slammed his hand down on the table. "You've tried everything? Izzy, we can't afford to wait! Get it fixed!" he ordered. Kari flinched, but was just as anxious Matt was. They couldn't afford to wait any longer.

"That's the thing, I don't know how! I have tried everything! I tried to get in last night, both with our digivices, and the newest ones. But nothing worked. I tried every program I could come up with, and nothing worked," he said, his voice losing every ounce of hope. He put his face in his hands. "Matt, I don't know what else I can do."

Kari felt as if the weight of the world was on their shoulders. Not just their world, but both worlds. She looked down and stared at a spot in the floor, because if she didn't, her emotions would get the best of her. She heard a rustling a few seconds later, and glanced up. Ray had moved from her spot against the wall, and had slid the laptop away from Izzy and in front of her. Her fingers moved across the keys like a cheetah would move across land.

"Uh, Ray, I don't thin- " Izzy started to say, but she made a noise and continued typing.

After another moment, she spoke. "The first thing I could understand was computers. I helped my dad design computer programs, before…before the war. Oh, and did I mention I graduated college at the age of 16? I know what I'm doing," Ray explained. This was news to Kari, since Ray hardly ever talked about her past. Her motto was that the past is done and gone, the present is happening, and the future hasn't happened yet. She lived in the now, but she didn't do it carelessly. She planned, but didn't over do it.

Kari glanced around at everyone, and noticed that everyone was a little shocked. She wondered if her face mirrored theirs, and thought it was very possible. Izzy was the smartest person they knew and even he didn't have those credentials.

The Digidestined stood there, waiting, pondering, and hoping, for another five minutes. Never once did Ray's fingers stop moving across the keyboard. Kari watched the screen, and nothing stayed on there for more than 3 seconds, and she couldn't even comprehend it. There were all these numbers and symbols, all combined into one long message that looked like it was from another world. But Ray's blue eyes never left the screen. After five more minutes, and with one final click, she let out a final breath and smiled.

"Done and done. Now, we have to get going. The gate will only be open for another five minutes at the most," she told them. Kari watched as she stepped back from the computer, and sure enough, the gate was green. Ray picked up her over the shoulder bag, a lot like Mimi's bag in their first adventure, but more purse-like, and put it on, obviously ready to go. Coronamon came to stand by her side, and the Digidestined who were leaving stood in a line, Matt being first, then TK, Sora, Kari and finally Ray, along with their digimon, Gabumon, Patamon, Biyomon, Gatomon, and Coronamon. The others grouped behind the laptop and Kari couldn't help but think that this would be the last time they would see each other for a while.

"Good luck, everyone. Find Tai. For all of us. And Ray," Izzy said, "thank you. We couldn't have done this without you."

"And may the odds be ever in your favor!" Davis added, chuckling. Yoli slapped him in the back of the head. "What! It seemed fitting!" They all laughed, but Ray cleared her throat and cut them off.

"Two minutes and counting," Ray murmured. Obviously she wasn't one for good-byes. Matt pulled out his digivice, and pointed it to the computer. Kari took a deep breath, and braced herself. This was going to be the adventure of a lifetime, and she was looking forward to it. Tai was finally going to be back with her again, and she was ready to see him. He had been gone for too long already.

"Digiport, open!" Matt commanded. Kari felt the pull of the Digiworld portal, and she felt the hurtle through the tunnel, and after a few seconds, they landed in the Digiworld she had grown to love. Only…it wasn't the Digiworld she knew. It was…different. The skies were dark, almost black. There was a moon, shining enough light to see, but not very far. The land was barren. The grass was now brown, and the forest, though thick with trees, was dead. They had no leaves on them, and they seemed to be missing life. The whole Digiworld was missing any kind of life. Usually, there would be some noise, the wind blowing or Digimon yelling and having a good time, but it was silent. There wasn't a sound, for the only thing she heard were her friends breathing.

Gabumon stepped out in front and turned in a circle. "What's happened to our home? I know we've been away for a long time, but it shouldn't have changed this much," he commented, obviously devastated that his home was now a wasteland. Biyomon stepped up next to him and put her wing on his shoulder. Kari could just feel the shock from every digimon here, and she looked down to Gatomon, who kept looking from place to place.

"Gatomon? Are you ok?" she questioned, concerned for her partner. Obviously, she was upset.

Gatomon shook her head but said nothing. Kari didn't know what to say, so she laid a hand on her head, for a moment, letting Gatomon know she was there for her, and then turned to the others.

"As much of a shock this is, we have to get moving. We don't know what's going on here, and I don't think we should be out in the open for too long," Kari suggested. This seemed to shake everyone out of their shock, and they nodded.

Matt stepped forward and glanced around. "I supposed the safest place for us is in the woods. At least there it's covered, and we can hopefully find other digimon to lead us to Tai," he told them. The group nodded, and walked towards the edge of the woods about 100 feet away. They walked in silence, but Kari could practically see the thoughts rolling through their minds. What happened? Where was everyone? Could they fix this?

They were approaching the edge when Elecmon came through the woods, looking bruised and beat up. He stumbled, but Coronamon dashed up and caught him before he fell to the ground. They all picked their pace up to a run and formed a protective circle around the fallen digimon.

Patamon was the first one to speak and his voice was strained. "Elecmon, what happened here?" he asked simply. Kari remembered that Elecmon was originally in charge of taking care of the DigiEggs. If he wasn't in Primary Village, then what had happened to the DigiEggs?

Elecmon coughed for a minute, and someone handed him a bottle of water they had brought. He took a quick drink, and then took a breath. "It's been a long time since you have been here, Digidestined. Things have cha-changed, as you can see. The Dark One rules this half of the wo-world now, and things are far from safe. The war in your world has be-been duplicated here," he explained, then launched into a coughing fit again. Kari couldn't stand to see him like this. This digimon, who had been so strong, was now beaten down to a pulp.

"The Dark One? Who is that?" asked TK.

Elecmon looked at him like he was crazy. "You don't kno-know? He is the wo-worst nigh-nightmare that y-you could ever im-imagine," he stuttered. Kari still didn't know who this Dark One was, but at least they knew what was wrong here. She was about to urge him to continue when his body started disappearing. Data was releasing into the air, and within moments, one-fourth of his body had disappeared.

"Elecmon, no! Don't disappear!" shouted Biyomon, kneeling down beside his side. He smiled, but it was that smile that one showed when they had accepted their fate.

"Go north, to the pl-place where the circle st-starts and ends. There will be ma-many challenges al-along the way, but th-they need you. En-End this war, and br-bring peace back once again," he pleaded. He reached out his paw and touched Biyomon's wing. "Thank you all, for being with me." With that, his body disappeared completely, and they stood there shocked.

The ground where he had been laying showed no sign he had even laid there. It was as if the digimon had never existed.

"We need to keep moving. Elecmon," TK said, looking up to the sky, "thank you, for your help. You'll never be forgotten." They all nodded in agreement. Elecmon's last moments were all about saving this world, and they would not let him down.

With unspoken consent, they moved as a group towards the forest. They walked a good five minutes distance into it, and once they designated the dead trees gave them enough cover for at least a little bit, they stopped walking and sat on the ground. They needed to form a plan, and now. Kari knew Matt hadn't thought this far ahead, because they hadn't had time, but now, they did. They needed a plan, and at least they had some information to go on. It was cryptic, sure, but that was still better than just wandering around the Digital world until they found something.

"Elecmon said to go north, so which way is north?" Matt questioned once everyone was formed into a circle.

Kari heard a rustling to her left, and watched as TK pulled out a compass. She raised one eyebrow at him and he shrugged. "I remember in our first adventure, Mimi had brought a compass and we could have used it, but it was broken. I figured we might need it again," he answered smiling sheepishly. She laughed, because that was one thing she would never have thought of bringing. A compass was just so small, it was easily forgotten. "North is…that way." His arm extended to the opposite direction that they had come from, and it went deeper into the forest. It definitely got thicker and darker in that direction and it gave her the creeps, but if that was the way to find her brother, then she would do anything.

"So that's where we're headed." Kari couldn't have said that any simpler than she had. It was the first thing in their plan, and past that…well, she didn't care to think about that.

"What did Elecmon mean, when he said where the circle starts and ends?" asked Sora. It was the first time she had spoken since they had arrived, and Kari noticed her voice shook a little. She thought it might be because of fear, but when she looked at the girl's face, it was clear that she was tired, but determined. That look hadn't been seen in Sora's face in a long time.

Looking around, she saw everyone was just as confused as she was. There were blank stares and hard faces, trying to connect the dots. The only one who wasn't confused, was Coronamon. The little beast digimon was studying each of the digidestined, looking slightly amused. Ray seemed to notice that, but said nothing. They seemed to have had some silent communication thing going on and were just waiting to see if anyone else noticed.

"Uh, Ray, Coronamon, anything to say?" asked Kari. They other's heads snapped up to look at the pair, who were glancing between looking at each other and looking at the others. They both shrugged at the same time.

"Well, Coronamon, we, thought that maybe-," Ray started.

"He could have meant-," Coronamon continued.

"Primary Village," the finished together, smiling at each other. The others looked shocked. Kari had assumed the village had been destroyed or worse, since Elecmon had not been there defending it, but it made sense. The Primary Village was a sanctuary for reborn Digimon. The rebels would obviously want to protect the little digimon, as well as the unborn ones. Also, it would give them a good vantage point, and a base to hide out in. It was probably the best place that they could have chosen.

Matt stood up, and paced around their little circle. He looked like he was forming thoughts left and right, and then tossing them out. Finally, he seemed to decide on what to do. "Ok, here's what I think we should do. We obviously need to make our way north, since Elecmon told us where to go. But…I think we should do it in two groups. We need to make sure someone gets there, and if this 'Dark One' is as bad as Elecmon made him or her seem, then we need to take certain precautions," he explained. Kari was a little shocked that he would want to split up, but it made a certain amount of sense. She had a feeling he wanted to go check something out also, but then again, so did she. There was one place she needed to make sure Tai wasn't at. If he had to choose where to be, he would surely be in one of the places he had great memories of. But then again, he might not have chosen a place. It might have been chosen for him.

Kari thought about the groups. There really was one way it could be, but before she could tell Matt who the groups should be, TK spoke up. "Ok, so Kari, Sora and I, along with Gatomon, Biyomon and Patamon will go east and then up north. You, Gabumon, Ray and Coronamon will go west and then north. Sound good?" he suggested. Matt smiled a bit, but quickly hid his smirk. Kari couldn't be happier, because that meant she got to be with TK more now, which she always enjoyed. And Sora was like her big sister, so that was good too.

Matt nodded. "Don't take longer than three days. We'll meet a mile outside of Primary Village. Remember there being a huge boulder? Meet there. Wait a day if either one of us doesn't show up, and then continue on," he ordered, sounding more like the leader Kari had come to know than he had the last two days. There was something in his eyes, also. Something like…admiration? No, more like…a crush. His eyes kept moving to Ray and back again, and Kari smiled inside. Little boy band Matt had a crush on the new girl. If things weren't so serious, she would have pulled him aside and talked to him about her. But that couldn't happen right then. "Be careful, all of you."

Matt pulled TK into a hug, obviously worried for his little brother. She saw Matt whisper something in TK's ear, and they both laughed, but TK's face was a little red. Kari shrugged it off and turned to Ray.

"Be careful. You still owe me a milkshake, and I intend to have you pay up," Kari asserted, smiling. She pulled her friend into a quick hug, and they smiled at each other. With the goodbyes said, they parted ways, making their way through the dead forest. She glanced back one more time, and just before Ray was out of sight, she though she saw the Egyptian blush. This was going to be interesting.

"You laid out the traps?" asked the dark figure.

"Of course, leader. Just as you said," replied the other.

"Let us hope that things go our way. We have to be ready. The war is coming to a close, and these Digidestined could pull it one way or the other. I just hope that our side pulls through."

"And if they do not pass?"

"Then they fall, along with the world." The dark humanoid figure paused. "Contact our Earth spy. Tell him that he needs to implement plan SUNRISE."

The other gasped. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. Things need to be set in motion now, before it's too late. We have to start moving, even if things don't go our way. Now go."


	6. Chapter 6

_I don't really have much to say. Sorry for taking so long, yada yada. Please review. I really would like feedback. I know that you guys just read and don't think that it's a big deal and that someone else will, but obviously they aren't. I'm not doing this story for reviews, but it would be appreciated. It might even make me write faster if, say, 5 people review? It would make my day, especially since my birthday is in less than a week!_

_I don't own digimon…grrr _

Chapter 6

Matt

It had been years since they had been back to the Digiworld. He couldn't believe how much it had changed. There were no longer carefree digimon roaming around, and he could tell it affected Gabumon more than it did him. This was his original home after all. If Earth ended up looking like this, Matt didn't even want to think about how he would react.

They walked in silence for about an hour. It didn't feel awkward or anything. Matt didn't mind walking with Ray and the two digimon. She seemed pretty easy going and very relaxed.

Finally, he had to break the silence. "So, Ray, why did you become leader of Egypt?" he asked. Matt wanted to know about this interesting girl who was only 23, but already tougher than anyone could ever imagine she could be. She looked up towards the sky and sighed.

"I became leader because my mother died. It was what she wanted. She passed it off to me, and I had a duty to fulfill. She was leader since before the war had started, and had been training me to take over should anything ever happen to her. I knew no one else could do it," Ray explained, her voice surprisingly steady. He supposed it was because she had accepted her mother's death and had moved on from mourning. "Also, it was a way to feel closer to my mom. Now, I feel closer to her, and the Egyptians are my family. I can't abandon them."

Matt completely understood what she meant. The people who he led were his family and his friends, and he would do anything to keep them safe. Also, it got him to feel like his best friend was right there. Of course, Tai wasn't but at least he felt his spirit within him.

"You seem like you had thought a lot about becoming a leader before you actually accepted," Matt commented, to which she nodded.

"Yes, I had a while to think about it. My mother…she didn't die suddenly. She died protecting her country, but it killed her slowly. I spent a lot of time with her, contemplating whether or not to take over. In the end, you can see my decision," Ray explained, her voice filled with pain. Obviously, she had gone through a lot of pain in her life, and that included losing her mother. "But enough about me for now, I want to here about you. I know some of your adventures from what Kari told me, but I don't know all of them."

He smiled, because he loved talking about his time in the Digiworld. He told her about how they got sent there in the first place, starting at camp, and then how they defeated first Devimon, and then Etemon, Myotismon, and finally the Dark Masters, and then how the next generation defeated their own enemy. Matt told her things he hadn't even though about in years. It was quite a refresher, thinking about the best times in his life. He even got her to laugh, which was a beautiful sound. It made her face transform from a hard and formed leader into a regular young adult that could have fun.

"It sounds like you have had some great times here. I wish I could have seen the Digiworld in its glory. It sounds beautiful," Ray said wistfully. Matt nodded, knowing that it was in fact a gorgeous place. Everything was so peaceful, at least until someone came to disrupt that peace.

"My home was beautiful. There were so many places to go; even I had not seen the whole thing before I came to search for my partner on Earth. I can't believe it's all gone," commented Coronamon.

Ray glanced down and Matt could see every part of her soften for her partner. They were obviously very close. "We will fix our home, Coronamon. Trust me when I say that we Digimon won't stop until everything is restored to the way it was," Gabumon replied smiling at him and placing a paw on his shoulder. Matt could tell that those two were becoming fast friends, bonding like two digimon would and humans could never understand.

"That's right, Coronamon. If I remember right, you still owe me a tour of the Digiworld, since I won that bet," Ray said smiling. Matt wouldn't have believed that Coronamon, a fire digimon, could get any redder, but he did. Ray seemed to notice the confused look on his face and she laughed. "That is a story that is for another time, I'm afraid, Matt."

He shrugged and mentally stored a note to ask her about it when they were better friends. "Well, ok, then you have to tell me about Egypt," Matt said, very curious as to what her country was like.

"Well, Egypt is very beautiful. Obviously, its very hot, and in most places dry, but where I lived for most of my life was Alexandria, and it was beautiful. The water was gorgeous. My favorite place was the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, and King Tut's tomb. You see, my family was supposedly descended from him, though I don't know if I believe it, and so my father, liked to take me there. He was an archeologist, and one of those who found King Tut's tomb," Ray told him. Matt found this extremely interesting, but supposed that he could see her as a great pharaoh, since she had dark skin and black hair. She could even be the next Cleopatra.

"You speak Arabic, right?" Matt asked.

"

' نعم، وأنا أتكلم العربية بطلاقة. هو لغتي الأم، على الرغم من أنها تعلمت على حد سواء، والإنجليزية من حين أتمكن من الحديث الأول

," Ray said smiling at his confusion as to what she said to him. "I said, 'Yes, I speak Arabic fluently. It is my native language, although I was taught both it and English from when I could first talk.' I also speak French and Spanish, from when I went to live in each place for a year."

Matt couldn't believe how talented she was. He could speak English and Japanese, but that was it. He couldn't imagine how she could learn 4 languages. This girl was getting more and more impressive by the minute. "If I can get in a request, please don't start going off in some other language. You'll make me look stupid," Matt said smiling.

Ray laughed and shook her head. "No hay promesas, mi amigo," she replied, nudging him. They both laughed and continued on in silence. But every good thing must come to an end.

A digimon just had to ruin his good time. DarkKnightmon literally appeared out of thin air. One minute there were clear skies, and the next, he's floating down to the ground 50 feet in front of them. Matt didn't even hesitate to pull out his Digivice and prepare for battle. This guy was bad news. He was an ultimate digimon, and his double spear was deadly. The good thing was that they had two digimon instead of one.

"Gabumon, get ready," Matt said, his voice low. He kept his eyes on the digimon who hadn't moved or said anything since they got there. Next to him, he felt Ray tense up and ready herself with Coronamon.

They stood there, not moving, for at least another five minutes, before Matt took a step towards the digimon and DarkKnightmon switched from an upright position to an attack position.

"Human, do not go any further. The dangers that are beyond this point will crush you. If you want to live, stop now and go back to your home. Try and pass, and I will be forced to destroy you," DarkKnightmon announced.

Matt glanced over to Ray and she nodded. A silent signal went between them, and they readied themselves for a fight. "Gabumon, digivolve, now!" Matt yelled. At the same time Ray yelled, "Coronamon, digivolve to Firamon!"

Matt watched as the digimon evolved into better, faster, and stronger beings. He had seen Garurumon before, and so that wasn't a surprise to see the blue and white wolf appear in front of him. But he was interested in Coronamon's next form. The small, bear-like creature transformed into something that resembled a lion, but with wings, as well as a tail on fire and other parts on fire too, and the fact that his whole body was dark orange. Ray didn't hesitate to jump on top of his back and smiled down at Matt.

"We fight together, as one," Ray told him. She reached for her black boots and pulled out bright silver twin knives, about as long as her forearm. She laughed at his shocked expression. "I had to learn how to defend myself before Coronamon came along. Egypt is a dangerous place for the leader of the countries daughter, especially one who doesn't like to follow the rules." She smiled, but then turned her focus back to DarkKnightmon who was walking towards them. Matt did the same, as he jumped on Garurumon's back.

"Twin spear!" roared DarkKnightmon, charging them with renewed speed. He charged Garurumon first, which they barely dodged. He slashed at them again, and they dodged once again.

"Howling blaster!" Garurumon shot out blue fire at the monster, but it just barely hit him, and it barely left a bruise.

"Fira claw!" Firamon jumped past Garurumon and tackled DarkKnightmon, his legs on fire. They cut into the skin of DarkKnightmon and he had claw marks burned into his armor. He staggered backwards a few feet and Firamon jumped back next to Garurumon. Matt saw that Ray had even gotten in a slash across the right shoulder of DarkKnightmon, but it wasn't even very deep.

Ray sighed. "Damn, I really thought we had him. I suppose we'll have to bust out the big guns, Firamon. Matt, can you guys distract him? This will take some time to power up," she asked.

He scrunched his eyebrows but nodded. Garurumon needed no more information and leapt at DarkKnightmon, his claws reaching.

Ray knew that this was probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, especially so early on, but it was better than using their energy on digivolving, which took a lot more of Firamon's. This took both of theirs.

She closed her eyes, and started channeling her focus onto the hand that was laying on Firamon. The first time the pair had done this attack, Firamon had passed out for a day. They had figured out that Ray could transfer her energy to Firamon, so as to help the attack. It took an enormous amount of energy from her, but that was better than having her only source of defense from being completely wiped out.

Ray felt the energy leave her in a slow trickle, and she felt Firamon growl in response. Once she felt that the energy was enough, she stopped the flow. Immediately, she felt weak, and Ray knew she couldn't withstand staying on Firamon while he continued the attack. She slid off of him, and literally fell to the ground. There was a tree there luckily, so she slid against that, and rested her head.

She turned her head to the battle just in time to see Firamon launch his attack against DarkKnightmon when Garurumon moved out of the way. His power came out in a big fire ball and all but obliterated DarkKnightmon. Matt and Garurumon landed next to him, and she could tell that the digimon was saying his final words. They seemed a bit unnerved by the words, but Matt hid the rest of his reaction well. Usually Ray could read people very well, but she didn't know Matt as well as other people, and she could tell that he hid his emotions from everyone but his closest friends.

Firamon didn't wait, but ran back over to Ray to check on her. He dedigivolved back into Coronamon halfway there, running as fast as he could. He kneeled down by her, and she smiled at him.

"Ray, are you ok? You didn't give too much energy, did you?" Coronamon asked, looking her over to see if she had any other injuries. She shook her head slightly and glanced over at Matt, who was on Garurumon, and they were running towards them.

Matt jumped off the digimon's back and knelt by her side. "What happened? Did you get hurt?" he questioned her. Coronamon glared at him, and Ray gave him a look that silenced the growl she knew would have come.

Ray shook her head. "No, I'm not hurt. For Firamon's attack, he needs a huge amount of energy to supply it. I supply a lot of that energy, so that, if we need to, Firamon can continue attacking without being too tired. I'm just very weak now," she explained. He looked very relieved when she told him she wasn't hurt. Ray could almost see the immediate concern leave his body. "Already my energy is coming back to me. I've gotten much better at it than the first time we tried it. I passed out for two days."

Matt laughed and pulled out a red apple from his pack. "Here, eat this. It should give you some more energy. In the meantime, you can ride with me on Garurumon to conserve your energy," he told her. She took the apple gratefully and munched on it, finishing it within a few minutes. Ray let out a sigh of relief and felt her muscles relax a bit.

He held out a hand for her to grab, which she did. Matt pulled her up, and she leaned on his shoulder quite a bit. Ray could practically feel Coronamon's anger that he couldn't help her. He was exhausted too, but she knew her partner didn't like her relying on anyone while he was around. He was supposed to be the one to take care of her, according to him.

Ray couldn't help but blush at how close they were. She hadn't been this close in proximity to a guy, since…well, a long time. It wasn't exactly her thing usually. There wasn't enough time in her life. Even though there probably wasn't anything between the two of them, it was still weird to be so close to him.

But it was a short trip to Garurumon, who had leaned down so that Ray could get on his back easier. Matt helped her up, and then got on behind her. Coronamon jumped on in front of her, and then they were off.

"Do you need to sleep?" Matt asked from behind her. Ray shook her head, but her body betrayed her with a yawn. "Go ahead, sleep. Coronamon and I will make sure that you don't fall off." She didn't even have the energy to protest him. All she did was close her eyes, and within seconds, she slipped into a deep sleep.

Matt couldn't believe this girl. She and her partner had figured out how to transfer energy between them so he could do his strongest attack and still not be wiped out. Not just that, but it was at the cost of her own energy. When he had seen Ray leaning up against that tree, looking pale and weak, he had thought the worst, and it had scared him. Matt realized he liked this girl, at the very least as a friend. They hadn't known each other very long, but from the amount that he had talked to her, she seemed like a genuine, smart, talented, and nice girl. He didn't want to lose her just yet.

Now, he could watch her and think over what she had told him. He knew that she hadn't told him everything, and there were things she was holding back, but then again, he had secrets of his own.

While she was sleeping, her body relaxed against his, and he wrapped his arms around her, so she wouldn't fall off. Matt smiled down at her, and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. Ray was one interesting girl.

But he had more important things to think about than his love life. DarkKnightmon had been just a test. He hadn't been evil, just guided as a test.

"_I am only the first obstacle, Digidestined of Friendship. The Leader has more set up, and tougher with each. If, and only if, you pass each test, may you go to see The Leader. He will not accept you into his ranks until you have proven yourself," DarkKnightmon has said. _

_Matt leaned down to hear him better. "The Leader, who is that? Is he part of the evil group trying to take over here?" he questioned urgently. _

_The digimon laughed shakily. "You fool, you haven't even figured it out, have you? You will have a lot to accomplish before you get to The Leader if you can't figure it out," he replied, coughing. He started to disappear, and his final words were whispered, but Matt heard them with perfect clarity. "He told me to tell you, that he knew you would find him. And he's expecting a lot out of you."_

_With that, DarkKnightmon disappeared, just like Elecmon had, leaving Matt to wonder about his last words. _

Could the 'He' that DarkKnightmon had been talking about be Tai? What if Tai was just testing them? Or it could be that Tai was just involved in this. He didn't know, but the only thing he could figure out was that, no matter what happened, he would find his answers by going to Primary Village.

He didn't realize how long he had been thinking, but before he knew it, the sun was going down. It was getting cool quick, and they needed to make camp before it got too dark to see. Garurumon seemed to know that also, because he stopped just as they reached a river. The river was more like a creek, but it was still a water source.

Matt leaned down to Ray and gently shook her. Her blue eyes fluttered open and she seemed to realize that she was leaning against him, because she quickly sat up.

"Feeling better?" he asked her. In response, she jumped off of Garurumon and did a flip before landing on her feet. Matt laughed at her, but he was glad that she was alright. "I'll take that as a yes."

Ray nodded and looked to Coronamon. "I'm feeling much better, how about you, Cor?" she asked. He simply nodded, but Matt could tell he was relieved.

"We need to make camp, and I figure that I'll go and get some fire wood while you guys set up camp. If you don't mind, I think it would be best if you took first watch," Matt said, taking the leader position once again. He could tell that it was rough for Ray to take orders, but she nodded, and went to their packs to take out blankets and such.

Matt made his way over to a patch of trees to his left, and picked up random sticks from the ground. When he thought it was enough, he went back to the camp area, where Ray had set up a pretty nice camp. She had set up stones in a circle for a fire pit, and their blankets, along with taking out some food and setting it out.

"Who knew that you were such an outdoorsy person," Matt said, smiling. She looked up and rolled her eyes. He set the sticks down, and Garurumon sent a blast of fire at it before dedigivolving back into Gabumon.

They ate in silence, but Matt was exhausted. He lay down just after they ate dinner, but just before he fell asleep, he saw Ray sneaking off into the night.


	7. Chapter 7

_I don't own digimon…grrr _

Digimon Ch. 7

Ray needed to get her mind clear. She just couldn't be around Matt at that moment, so she needed to get up and moving. Her energy had almost all returned to her, so that wasn't a problem. Coronamon gave her a weary look, but let her go on her own. She needed to be alone for just a little bit, to think about everything.

She went on for probably an hour, walking and never stopping, thinking of what had already happened. By the time she got back, it looked as if Coronamon was getting ready to go look for her. Ray waved her hand so that he would sit back down, and she leaned up against a stump, staring at the dying fire. Hours past by, which led into dawn, at which time, Matt woke up as if an alarm had gone off in his head. He sat up and stretched out his stiff limbs, yawning. His hair was in a slight mess, but with a swift shake of the head, he fixed that and was back to his normal perfect self.

He glanced around and noticed that it was dawn. "Ray! Why didn't you wake me up sooner? It had to be at least 8 hours, and you surely didn't get enough sleep while riding here on Garurumon," Matt commented, glaring at her, but not really angry.

Ray just shrugged. "I'm really not that bothered by it. I'm used to only getting a few hours of sleep a night, because of my job as the leader. Don't worry about it. Besides, it was good for me. Some time to think about everything, I mean," she explained. Matt seemed to relax but she could tell he still seemed bothered by the fact that she had let him sleep all night. "Anyways, let's get packed up and moving, shall we?" She stood up and started packing up the tent that Matt had slept under, along with their sleeping bags. Matt couldn't do anything but nod and help her clean up their campsite. He also filled up their canteens with fresh cool water from the river/creek and before the hour was up they were on their way, following the river now. They continued talking throughout the way, about their lives before the war had come and about their lives now. Their recent lives were very similar, and that drew them closer to each other. But then that led them to talking about the recent digimon attacks. It was only natural that they would talk about the war now that they were together.

"Yeah, Egypt has been in the heart of the attacks lately. We've been getting by, because of the large amount of digimon population, but when Tai took my people…it caused a lot of problems. I sure hope that they are doing alright without me...Chris is my second in command, but then again, he's not always the best decision maker," Ray was telling him, thinking back on the past few years in Egypt. She recalled some of his past mistakes, and chuckled out loud.

"How long has Chris been your second?" Matt asked, sounding curious. Ray shrugged, thinking.

"As long as I've been leader. He's my best friend, and the only one I trust completely. I've known him all my life…" Ray started. She stopped herself before she told the whole story. This wasn't the time, and it wasn't something that she wanted to tell. Not now, maybe not ever. She didn't know if Matt could trust her after everything that had happened in her life.

0000000000000000000000000

Kari

After they split up from Matt and Ray, the group kept moving for hours, even going until just before the sun went down. So far, nothing had happened, but she didn't like their odds of not getting attacked or something of that matter. It had been so long, and everyone was letting their guard down which wouldn't help if they got attacked soon. She just hoped that Ray and Matt were doing ok and would meet up with them soon. Her thoughts were soon drawn back to her brother. He was here, she knew it. Kari could feel it in her bones and in her heart. Not just as siblings, but as best friends, they had a sort of connection and she could feel it getting stronger as they walked towards their destination.

She looked up to see that everyone had stopped and was staring at her because she had kept going, too lost in her thoughts to realize it. TK seemed quite amused with her, that was for sure, since he was laughing out loud at her.

Once he quieted down, he asked her, "What are you thinking about, Kari?" Sora had walked away to gather some firewood, so it was just the two of them for the moment. His face turned serious in a second, as if he could see the thoughts on her face. "Tai?" She nodded, and without a word, he stepped towards her and put his arms around her. She practically folded inside him, fitting her head under his chin. Kari felt comfort here, because this was her most trusted friend and her confident. They understood each other, and it didn't take words for them to do it.

"TK, I can feel him here. It doesn't make sense, but I know that he is here, and we're on the right path. I've gone 5 years without seeing him, and I just can't bare to go any longer. I miss him, but what if he's different, if he's changed?" Kari asked, rambling. She was going crazy, thinking about it all. It was her brother, but 5 years could change a person. It had certainly changed her. What if he was completely different than before, and what if he hated her? And what…?

TK shook her slightly. "I can see the thoughts rolling through your mind, and I know that you are questioning everything. Don't. Tai will be your brother, and he'll love you no matter what. Yes, he might have changed, but no, it won't change anything. Tai was the best leader I have ever seen, and one of the best people. I can't imagine him being any different. We all miss him, and I have a feeling that we'll see him at the end of these two next days. I'll be with you the entire way, so you don't have to worry. I'll be next to you, no matter what," he told her. She smiled into his chest and nodded. They pulled apart and Kari sighed.

"Thanks, I really needed that. I've missed you the past few months. It was so weird, not calling you every night and telling you all about my day," she said absentmindedly. For years, they would talk every night and he was her comfort. The only normal thing about her life. After Tai left, TK was the only one who she would talk to for a month. He was the only one that she would even allow in her apartment. Not to mention he was the one who got her out of her funk and focused on other things. They digidestined needed her, especially since the war had broken out and TK wouldn't allow her to just waste away. They were going to get him back, and he convinced her of that.

"Isn't that so sweet? Two lovebirds expressing their sympathy, it's going to make me cry," came a voice. Kari broke apart from TK and jumped into a fighting stance, Gatomon already poised with her paws up in front of her. Figures that their luck would run out, and Megadramon would be standing right there, taunting them.

The digimon laughed at their shocked silence. "If you are just going to stand there, then I guess I'll go ahead and destroy you now. It's too bad really, because I would have liked to toy with you a bit more," he commented, moving closer to them. Kari automatically took a step back, but never looked away from the digimon, in case he tried to make a move against them.

"I won't let you harm my friends, you big ugly monster," Gatomon vowed, looking as serious as ever. She was a small digimon, but size didn't matter. The cat could pack a punch even in her lowest form.

Patamon shot off a bubble at the big digimon, but the dragon just swatted it away with his long tail. "Why are you trying to stop us? We've done nothing to you," TK yelled at Megadramon.

The digimon didn't say anything for a moment, seeming to choose his words carefully. "The Leader has sent me to stop you from reaching him. It would be…unwise, to try and fight me. You will fail, but if you turn back now and give up, then I will allow you to live," Megadramon told them, sounding more serious than before. Kari didn't like the sound of this. Whoever this Leader was didn't seem to want them to reach them, so that's exactly where she knew they needed to go. Kari stood up straight before the digimon, and glared at him.

"You won't stop us, because we don't give up. We have to go there to save everyone, and if it means sacrificing my life, then that's what I will do. I would do anything to save the people of my world, as well as find my brother. I just know that's where he is, and you are not going to stop me. Gatomon, ready?" Kari stated, pulling out her digivice.

The cat nodded and Kari activated her digivice, calling out, "Gatomon, digivolve!" The digimon transformed from a small, white cat into a beautiful, strong angel that was ready for battle. TK didn't take any time to also pull out his digivice, and with a nod to Patamon, he yelled, "Patamon, digivolve!" Within a few seconds, not only one angel stood before the two humans, but two did, both radiating light and power like none had seen before. Kari and TK moved towards each other, and stepped back out of the way. She hated to not help them, but knew that if they tried, they would just be in the way.

"Very well, if you think you must get past, I will be forced to stop you at any means necessary. I hope you are prepared for this," Megadramon told them. "Dark Side Attack!" Dozens of missiles came from his body and locked in on the two angels. The digimon switched into attack mode, and Angemon pulled out his staff. He swung it in a big circle, announcing, "Angel Staff!" Half of the missiles hit his staff while the other circled around to the back, focusing in on Angewomon.

"Heaven's Charm!" The light attacked the missiles, and destroyed them before they made it even close. With the missiles gone, the two angels turned towards the where the digimon had been only to find him gone. "Angemon, where did he go?" Angewomon asked, frantically searching the area around them. They both turned around in circles, but neither of them thought to look up above them until they heard their enemy call out his attack.

"Ultimate Slicer!" Megadramon called. The two angels didn't even have to act, but they jumped out of the way in opposite directions, leaving the attack to leave cuts in the ground slicing through the earth a few feet. The angels glanced upwards only to find the digimon gone once again. But it didn't take nearly as long as it did the first time to find him. "You shouldn't leave your partners undefended like this, because who knows what will happen to them. There are some unfriendly beings out there that might…harm them." Wrapped in his slimy tail were TK and Kari, their mouths covered and Kari could feel the breath being squeezed out of them.

Angewomon immediately stepped forward as if to take them away. "Let them go, Megadramon. They cannot fight you, and your battle is with us. Leave them out of it," she called, angry that she had not protected her partner better.

Megadramon laughed. "I beg to differ. These two have a more important job than you know. And if they cannot pass this test also, then your mission will fail," he explained, squeezing the two tighter. Kari grunted, the pressure on her chest becoming too much. Angewomon brought out a Celestial Arrow, but the digimon merely shook his head and brought the two humans up near his head. "You shoot, and you could hit your precious digidestined." She lowered her light bow, but didn't let it disappear completely, merely resting it at her side.

Suddenly, a bird like creature flew in and calling out, "Mach Grinder!" Birdramon flew in with her claws out, knocking the digimon on the head before he had a chance to defend himself. He fell flat against the dirt, knocked out cold. His tail uncurled, releasing Kari and TK from his grasp. She sucked in a deep gulp of air, thankful for oxygen in her lungs at last. TK pulled her up, and gazed into her eyes.

"Are you ok?" She nodded and he pulled her into a hug. They pulled apart to see Megadramon disappearing into data, with Sora right by him, ready to be reborn. His mouth was moving, but she couldn't hear the words flowing, so she ran to him, and caught a small portion of it.

"-many more to come. The Leader will make them harder, but maybe not in the way you think. He wants to know you are ready to see him," the digimon said, almost half gone.

TK had come up behind her, and spoke. "Who is this 'Leader'? Why can't we just see him now? We are the Digidestined and we are ready to meet any challenge that comes to us."

The digimon laughed, but it came out as a cough. "You silly humans, can't figure anything out by yourselves. Well, I am not able to tell you all of what you want to know. But just know that you will have to face something that could change you forever. Be prepared to do anything to pass it, or the world is doomed." TK shook his head and turned to leave with Sora, obviously displeased with the answers he had gotten. But the digimon wasn't quite finished, so only Kari was there to hear his last words.

She had to crouch down to hear the words, but she caught them just in time. "He—is sorry, for what has happened. When you pass, tell the guards- this phrase 'The sun shines- in the day, but the stars break through the dark.' This will-get you, and only you, directly-past them. Do not-tell anyone about this. This was meant-for only you. Good-bye, Kari, Digidestined of Light." Megadramon let out his final breath before his data was gone and he was sent back to primary village. Kari let out her breath also, realizing for the first time she had been holding it.

What exactly did he mean? Why would the phrase be for only her? She wasn't more important than anybody else. At one point, yes, she had been the 8th digidestined, but after the Myotismon situation, she had become part of the team just like everyone else. It was the same with the next generation Digidestined. She was just part of the team, and Kari liked it that way. So why would she get an invitation to get past all of the guards? There had to be more past what she was seeing.

TK seemed to notice she was still in the same spot and staring at where Megadramon had disappeared, and he came back to stand right in front of her. "Hey, what's wrong? He's gone, and he's not going to come back to hurt us any more. Come on, Sora built a fire, lets get dinner and some sleep. You'll feel better after that," he told her, his voice gentle and caring. He took her hand and pulled her toward the glowing fire that radiated heat. For some reason, her heart leapt at this little contact, but she didn't know why. He had done this plenty of times, but for some reason, she had lately started noticing every little touch or look they shared. It just seemed different now. But they were just friends, so what could that really mean? Maybe it was just because they hadn't really seen each other in months, so she wasn't used to getting back to their touchy ways.

They reached the campfire, and Sora was sitting, staring at the fire with an intenseness that she had never had before. "Everything ok, Sora? Thanks, by the way, to you and Biyomon for coming to rescue us. You really pulled through," Kari commented, smiling genuinely at her friend. They girl just nodded but said nothing. They ate the packed dinner in silence, but it wasn't awkward. She figured that they all needed time to take in what had just happened, so when the time came to get some rest, they said good-night and Kari fell quickly asleep, letting her dreams take away her worries.

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Sora couldn't believe today. It had started out with her hopes being high, the thought of finding Tai keeping her going, but within one day, there had been a roller coaster, ending with the defeat of Megadramon.

Before Kari and TK had come over to the dying digimon, she had heard some things that she was sure were only meant for her ears. This was why she didn't repeat them to the other two, choosing to keep it in her thoughts and figure things out before she worried them unnecessarily.

"_You will have to face your greatest fear, and sacrifice your greatest desire if you want to pass this test. I know yours, Digidestined of Love, and your test will be the hardest, with it being so close. Be strong, for the Leader knows what you are capable of," Megadramon mumbled to her. _

She had barely caught that he had been talking to her, but she had heard every word. The words couldn't have been clearer. But it did scare her, and Sora wasn't used to that. Tai's attitude towards things had rubbed off on her, and she was more confident than she had been as a little girl. This was different. She didn't know exactly what the digimon meant, and she didn't want to tell the other two, but she might have to. This might not be something that she could figure out on her own. If only Tai were here….

They settled down for the night, but Sora couldn't even think of sleep for another hour. Her thoughts were going nonstop, like a never ending race through her head. Finally, after thinking things over and over, her eyes close, her breathing smoothed, and her thoughts calmed. Right before she fell asleep, she could have sworn she heard Tai's voice calling out to her and telling her to be strong.

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So, I know its been a while, like forever long, and I'm sorry. I didn't update much during the summer, but I'll try to do it more often now! I probably will only update once, maybe twice a month, but I will do at least one a month! I hope you liked this chapter, and I can't wait to get to the later chapters! I hope you guys review, and thank you to **sagecurse98, Ykcor, AzaleaDahlia, saveme57, punkagumon, gallantmon7196, dbzgtfan2004, aime0x, Amaya-CheshireNeko, and K.K.o.t.S.S **for your reviews, I really appreciate them. Starting next chapter, I will start responding individually to reviews, and if you pm me, I will answer (almost) any questions you have about the story!

Anyways, I hope you like this story, please review as I really enjoy them, and thanks again for reading! Love you guys!


	8. Chapter 8

_I don't own digimon…grrr _

Chapter 8

Matt

He and Ray moved quickly, but not where he was anywhere near tired yet. The long sleep he had did some good for him, and he was ready to take on any enemy that threatened them. Glancing over at Ray, he worried that she was more tired than she let on. Not that she showed it by any means. He got more impressed by her as time went on; based on everything he was learning from her. Matt could understand why she was leader of the country. She had an air about her that just made the things that she said seem reasonable. He could see why her people trusted her, and why she was an effective leader. He had judged her, not knowing how someone who was even younger than him could run an entire country and figured she was doing a poor job. But now he knew better. She mentioned her people, talking about individuals by name as if she knew them personally. It was the kind of thing that Tai would have done.

They walked in silence for a while before Matt saw a huge doorway in the middle of a wall. The wall had to have been almost a mile high, like a skyscraper, and at least as long as the Great Wall of China.

"You see it too, right?" Matt asked, dumbfounded. Ray just nodded, her mouth slightly open. It wasn't too far off, only about a mile. They would probably get there in about an hour, based on the pace that they were walking.

"Matt, what do you think it is?" Gabumon questioned.

He shrugged. "Nothing good," he replied ominously.

They finally came upon the brick wall. It was falling to pieces in parts of it, but solid all the same. They got close enough that Matt could see mouse holes in the bottom of the wall. He saw that instead of one door, there were two, one with the crest of hope on it and one with an unknown symbol on it. They stood quietly in front of it, studying the two doors before a tablet appeared out of thin air right between the two doors.

"_Those who step up to the plate, _

_Think about your hopes and dreams_

_Your fears and your worries_

_For they will decide your fate._

_Only two may pass through each door,_

_One human and one digimon in each_

_Tests and challenges are in store,_

_To decide if you pass or fail."_

Matt read the tablet, twice, three times, before sighing. "I guess this is our second test and we have to split up. I don't like it though. It doesn't feel right, not being able to stay with you," he told Ray, scrunching his eyes. Looking at her, she was staring at the door, not hearing a word he said. After a few moments, she looked at him and realized he had said something. "Something wrong?" he asked, sensing her mood go drastically down.

She shook her head, but Matt knew she was lying. He took her hand and led her to a tree stump nearby where they both sat down. After a few seconds, she started talking. "The symbol, I've seen it before. I haven't been to the Digiworld, and you know that. But I've had dreams of it. That symbol was in my dreams. There are two other places that I've seen it besides that, also. I never knew what it meant until now," Ray told him.

"What? Where?" he questioned urgently.

She stood up abruptly. "Once, was when Tai showed up. On his bag, there were symbols all over it, and that was one of them. And the second, well, I'll just show you," Ray said. She pulled her shirt up over her head, leaving a tank top on underneath. She turned around, her back facing him, and lifted her long hair, revealing the entirety of her back. Matt almost gasped out loud as he saw the exact same symbol imprinted in black on her back. He stood and ran his hand across the symbol, tracing its pattern.

"How long have you had this?" he asked, in a trance-like state.

"Since I was a little baby. Right about the time that you all saw the digimon for the first time, actually, based on what Kari and you have told me," Ray told him. She stepped away from his hand, shivering a bit. Matt didn't know what to think, and his silence showed that. This had to be fate.

He stepped towards her once again, looking her in the eyes. "So, do you know what the symbol means?" he questioned, his voice soft.

Ray nodded again. "The symbol, as I understand it, means passion. It is like your crest, which means friendship," she explained, looking away from him. "I don't know how I know it, but ever since the first time I saw it, I've known."

Matt gazed at her, and noticed that she was shaking a bit. He didn't know what he was doing, but he reached for her hand and took it. Her head shot up and her eyes shot up, directly to him, but didn't take her hand back.

"Some things are just meant to be. You are meant to be here, with us, and that symbol of passion is meant to be yours. Now, we are meant to split up, but be sure about one thing. We will meet again on the other side. I know it, and we'll meet up with the others. Be strong, like I know you are. Your people are counting on you. And…I don't want to lose another friend, so be courageous," Matt told her, smiling softly at her.

She didn't speak for a moment, seeming to drift off into her own world. Ray pulled her hand away softly, and Matt felt a bit rejected, even though he had meant it to be a friendly gesture. She stepped away from him and turned away, gesturing for Coronamon to come near.

They exchanged whispered words, and then she turned back to Matt, determination on her face. "I'll admit, I'm shaken up. I didn't think this symbol meant that much, and it's crazy that I'm part of this huge plan. But you're right, I have to be strong for my people and my friends. Let's get going," Ray said. "But first…" She stepped towards Matt swiftly and kissed him on the cheek. "Anyways, catch ya on the other side!" With that, she moved swiftly towards the door which immediately opened for her and stepped through. The door closed behind her with a click, and before Matt could even blink, the doorway was gone, as if it had never even existed.

"Well, that was certainly mysterious," Gabumon commented. "And Matt, you and Ray, huh?"

"Shut up," Matt mumbled, not wanting to continue on the subject. He didn't know if there was anything between him and Ray, but it wasn't the time or the place to think too much about it. There would be time for that later. For now, his place was to go through the door and face his next challenge. "Ready, Gabumon?"

His digimon nodded and as a team they stepped through the door. It shut tight after them, sealing them in darkness for a moment. Matt felt beside him and it hit a wall. Feeling his way forward, the pair took tentative steps forward before a fire lit in front of him, lighting his way. More fire lit their way as they continued taking steps, only shining as far as they needed.

Matt didn't know how long he walked, it could have been hours or it could have been just seconds. However long, he finally made it to a chamber, probably about as big as a basketball court with torches lining the walls, giving light to old, gray walls with cracks lining them and concrete floor. The ceiling was at least 30 feet tall and Matt saw a slight opening at the top, letting in a ray of sunshine.

He was busy taking in his surroundings that he didn't notice that a digimon stepped out of the shadows and was walking towards him.

"I am Mistymon and your journey is far from over, digidestined of friendship. Not only must you prove your strength, as you have done, you must prove your worth. While your last test was a test of pure strength and determination, this is not. If you are able to pass, you will, and if you are not able, you won't, it is as simple as that. When you are ready, you and your digimon may step forward into the center to start your test," Mistymon told him, pointing with his flaming sword at a circle in the center of the room.

Matt glanced at Gabumon who nodded, and as one, they moved towards the center, ready to face whatever challenge came their way. Taking long strides towards the center, they reached it within seconds. The circle was big enough for Gabumon and Matt to stand back to back and not have any part of their body outside of the circle.

Mistymon walked around them in a circle, and nodded. He let his sword draw a circle around them, lighting it with a strange orange glow. "Very good. Let's begin," Mistymon said. He mouthed words as he continued marching around them, but Matt couldn't make out anything coherent. This went on for a few minutes before Mistymon stepped back and tapped his sword on the ground three times. A blue mist surrounded the digimon and cut off Matt's vision of him, and then, it surrounded the pair. When it lifted, Matt was back in their original Digidestined group, the 8 that had started it all. But there was something different. He didn't remember this night, them sitting around a campfire on a beach.

Tai stood near the fire at the center, and everyone was laughing at what he was telling them. Matt and Gabumon walked towards the fire, joining the group. They went silent one by one as each group member noticed he had joined them, except for Tai. Just like always, Tai was always a leader and he just kept smiling at Matt, as if nothing had ever gone wrong between the two.

Tai didn't seem to even notice the others and continued. "Matt! Where have you been? We've been missing you, it hasn't been the same since you went away," Tai exclaimed, beaming at him. He was really confused. Where had he gone? Last time he had checked, Tai was the one that had left everyone, not him. Why would everyone be missing him.

Matt shrugged. "Tai, what's going on? What do you mean 'I went away'?" he asked, curiously.

Tai laughed. "You left us, Matt, don't you remember? You abandoned your friends, went on your own to 'figure everything out', or that's what you said. I assume everything is back to normal? Well, then I'll just get out of your way, because that's what you want, right? Your secret wish was to get rid of me and take over as leader. You wanted to be the hero, the leader. So, here is your chance," he said.

Matt opened his mouth to protest, but no sound came out. He wanted to yell that he didn't, that in fact, Matt was jealous of how great of a leader Tai was and how he wanted to be more like him, but nothing came out.

Tai vanished, literally. He had turned around, and all of the sudden he wasn't there. Matt glanced around, but he was no where to be found. His friends stood up and surrounded him, staying for a moment, but then all Hell broke loose.

"You let him go!"

"You'll never match up to him!"

"Everything you do is wrong!"

"Why can't you stop the war?"

"You were never a great brother!"

"Matt, don't listen to them. They are wrong." Gabumon.

Shouts surrounded him and cloaked him, covering his entire being, shrinking him down to the size of a mouse. Matt couldn't take it. The things they were saying were true. His friends had a right to say that. Hadn't he thought the very same things over and over again when he lived in Tai's shadow? He had even thought the same things during the war when Tai was gone. There was something flawed in him.

The noise vanished. Matt's friends were gone, poof.

He was standing at the fire by himself. The flames flicked and popped, jumping at him and he felt Gabumon put a paw on his arm, but Matt was alone with his thoughts.

Why did he think he wasn't as great as Tai? Tai was naturally a great leader. He was easy to trust, made sense when he said something, and he was likeable. That was everything Matt wasn't. But that didn't mean that he wasn't a great leader. He worked to do everything that he had accomplished. Determination was his key, because he couldn't give up on his friends and family. They had never given up on him before and he knew that they never would.

Matt didn't know if they were listening, or if they were still here but he was going to talk to Gabumon if they weren't. "I'm so sorry. I've been holding back, ever since Tai disappeared. I kept putting myself down, and I never gave my full self because I didn't think I could. I was too afraid of letting you down and never measuring up to Tai. I want to be better, for you guys. When I get back, with or without Tai, I will try to be the best I can. For you guys, and for myself, too."

His friends appeared one by one, and he smiled at them. They smiled back, genuine and not ridiculing. They disappeared once again, and Matt was back in the blue mist and escaped, not in a tunnel, but on the other side of the wall. It was a grassy plain with a line of trees up ahead, one small path leading through it.

Mistymon was back, standing in front of him. The digimon clapped his hands and opened them wide. "My friend, you have passed! The leader is ready for you, you just have to take that path, and you will find the answers you are looking to. But be warned, the answers you get may not be ones the ones you want," he offered.

Matt glanced around, looking for Ray but found no one. "Where is she? What did you do to her?" he growled, glaring at the digimon.

Mistymon shook his head. "She has her own challenges to face. Alone. My advice, leave and go on. Her demons are plaguing her, and she is having…difficulties overcoming them. I will send her on her way if and when she passes the test," he told him.

Matt shook his head. "Not good enough. I need to help her, I want to help her. She is my friend and I can't just leave her. I won't abandon her," he asserted. The digimon said nothing for a few moments. Then he pointed his staff at the wall, and a door appeared.

"If you do not make it out in by the time the fifth bell rings, then you will be lost, and so will your friend. The bells ring every 5 minutes, so take care of your time. And may luck be with you. The leader will be very unhappy with me, if I were to lose you," Mistymon told him, almost fearful in his voice. Matt nodded and looked at Gabumon.

"Are you ready to do this?"

"Matt, I'd follow you anywhere."

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I hope you like this story, please review as I really enjoy them, and thanks again for reading! Love you guys!


	9. Chapter 9

_I don't own digimon…grrr _

Chapter 8

Ch. 9

Ray

No matter what people thought about her being fearless, they were wrong. Deep inside, she was just a scared girl who just guessed at what she was doing. Most things scared her, even though she didn't show it. That was her specialty, keeping the emotions on the inside. And although she had overcome a lot of her fears, this tunnel scared her more than Ray had shown Matt. Darkness closed in all around her, threatening to cave in and choke her.

As if he could read her thoughts, Coronamon lit his fire even brighter which lit at least a ten foot radius around her. Ray smiled gratefully at him. They needed no more than that simple gesture, they just understood. He was the only friend that Ray really had in her life, but he was all she needed.

They walked for another five, maybe ten minutes before coming to an empty chamber. There she noticed a bolted wooden door across the way, but standing in front of it was a golden digimon. It had on a blue cape and double swords were at it's sides. The digimon stayed silent as Ray and Coronamon walked forwards towards the center.

Once she reached a block in the middle of the room, the digimon stepped away from the door. "I am Grademon, the Golden Meteor. I am the guardian of this gateway, and the one who will test you to see if you are worthy."

"Worthy of what, exactly?" Ray asked, curiously. She didn't like the way he had said that. Combined with his words, and what the riddle had said at the beginning of the tunnel, it wasn't looking good for her.

Grademon apparently chose to ignore her question, seeing as he moved on. "You will be tested on how you overcome your fears, and if you can give up your hopes and dreams for others. If you pass the tests, then you will be allowed to move on to meet our leader," the digimon told her ominously.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "And if I don't pass?" Ray had a feeling of what would happen, but she needed some confirmation. Unfortunately, she didn't get any, since the digimon merely nodded and moved on.

"When you are ready, you and your digimon may step forward into the center to start your test," Grademon told her.

Ray took a deep breath and looked toward her partner. Coronamon nodded. "Just remember, Ray, you are never alone. I'll always be here for you," he told her. She nodded, trusting him completely and stepped towards the center.

As soon as she made it to the middle, Grademon walked towards her and lifted his two swords, stabbing them into the ground, one on each side of her. Within a few seconds of this, Ray saw a gold mist surround them and she was lost in it. It seeped into her pores and she breathed it in, almost choking on it.

It left almost as quickly as it came, and left her in complete darkness. While just a few seconds a before, she had not been able to get enough air, when the light left her, she kept taking in shallow breaths. Darkness was one thing she could not handle, there had already been too much of it in her life. It enclosed her like a cage, shattering her confidence in herself. The darkness brought back her fears and the losses that she had suffered.

Suddenly, it was like there was a movie playing in front of her. There was no projector and no source, just an image in front of her. It was of her father. He was yelling, like he always was. An image of her appeared in the silent movie across from her father. She was probably 10 or 11 years old at the time. Her father never smiled and with his black and wavy hair, and his hard blue eyes, they looked exactly alike. He wanted them to **be** exactly alike also. This was one of the times that he had asked her to do something, something that was horrible for a child, and she couldn't do it. He wanted her to kill an innocent animal, the first step to her being able to do whatever she needed to meet her goal.

He was about to punish her again, lock her in the darkness. He had done it so many times, and it was about to drive her insane, literally. Ray wasn't scared of the dark, but being locked up and not being able to see anything and it got to be too much. She would cry for hours and hours, finally being let out, only to go back in the within a day.

This was the last time. The innocent rabbit was right there, and he had handed her a gun. She knew how to use it, and was a perfect shot, but Ray could never fire it at a living creature. He started towards her, looking in the direction of the closet and she knew it was coming. Ray remembered the moment perfectly. The fear overtook her. She couldn't go back into the darkness. She aimed and shot within seconds of his first step. The bullet hit its mark, right in the heart, killing the rabbit instantly. Ray's eyes never left the animal, the blood staining the fur and the floor below it. It was the day her soul died and the day her father first hugged her.

The scene changed to a couple of years later. The child that Ray had just seen had disappeared and was replaced with this killer. Ray's past self was taller, just as small and her black hair fell midway down her back. But what had most changed about her were her eyes. They no longer had the innocent look about them. Now, her eyes were hardened and unforgiving. Her father stood next to her, with the same look in his eyes. They both held guns in their hands, Ray with two, one in each hand. She looked at him and he nodded. Without a second glance, Ray's past self shot with both guns at the two people in front of them, killing them.

The image disappeared and left Ray in darkness once again. Ray sunk down and hugged her knees, tears streaming down her face. She could feel Coronamon next to her, trying to comfort her, but she didn't pay attention. She couldn't handle the memories of what she had once done. Remembering them was one thing, but seeing them was another.

"Ray!"

Ray didn't look up. _Probably another memory_, she thought to herself. She couldn't bear to look up and see herself as ruthless again.

"Ray!"

She would never get rid of the horrible things that she had done. That ruthless part of her was just under the surface. What if it came back? What if she cracked one day? Her friends could get hurt. The other side of her was ruthless and hungry for power. She could never get rid of it; it was always there. Waiting. Watching.

"Ray, I'm right here. Please, tell me what's wrong. I can help, just talk to me," came the voice. Ray felt hands on her shoulders, gripping and shaking her slightly.

Ray shook her head. "Just watch. You can't help me, no one can. I'm a monster," she mumbled, believing every word. There was no other word that could be used for her, after everything she had done.

Ray looked up to see another movie playing. It was another mission from her father, her first solo one. She couldn't bear to remember it so she chose to put her head back down, but a hand caught her chin. She looked up into the soft eyes of Matt.

"Ray, was that your memory?" he asked. She didn't answer, but he must have seen the look on her face. "It doesn't matter what you've done. What matters is who you are now and what you value now. The past is done and gone, and you can't change it. But you can shape the future to however you want."

Ray glanced back at the images, flashing things from her life. She heard her fathers voice telling her she was worthless and that the only thing that was useful was her killer instinct. "My father, he was ruthless, you know. He was a horrible man. He was a gang leader, and killed many people. He didn't care who he had to hurt to get what he wanted. I never knew anything different. He trained me to be like him. Even now, I can still remember everything he taught me, as if he is still here today. I'm a monster, just like him." Just then, a bell went off.

Matt looked up, quickly and swore, then shook his head. He sat down next to her, and put a hand on her arm. His voice soft, he said, "You are not like him. You wouldn't be the leader of Egypt if you were. Whatever he did or you did, its not who you are. Don't let it shape what you become. If you let your past rule your future, then you are on your way to becoming your father. That isn't who you are. Kari trusted you, and so do I. With my life. Coronamon loves you with his whole heart, I can tell. You are Ray, the leader of Egypt who cares about her people and puts them before herself. You aren't evil, you aren't a monster, you are just…you."

Ray shook her head, still not believing him. "I'd like to believe you, but what if I ever go back to being like I was? Matt, I killed so many people, just because my father told me to. What if I go back to being like that?" she asked, hoping he'd have the answers she was looking for.

Matt smiled softly at her. "Is your father alive?" he asked, simply.

"No….I killed him," Ray told him, for once feeling no emotion.

If Matt was shocked, he didn't show it. "He's dead, which means he can't make you do those things any more. You can be whoever you choose to be. The choice is yours. You can sit here and be afraid, and become exactly who you are scared of, or you can get out of here, and overcome your fears; be who I know you are," Matt replied. He stood up, and held out his hand, waiting for her. Ray didn't know what to say.

But she knew one thing. She could trust Matt and Coronamon. Ray took his hand and stood up. "I don't know if I can be the person you think I am, but I can try. Thank you, both of you. I don't know what I would have done without you both, and Gabumon too," Ray told them, smiling. She pulled Matt into a hug, and after a few seconds of hesitation, he hugged her back. Feelings of comfort and home overwhelmed her, and she let go, not knowing what she was feeling. So instead, she hugged Coronamon.

Another bell went off, the second one. "What was that?" asked Ray.

"Oh no. I only had 15 minutes to get in here and get you out. That was the 10 minute mark. We've go to go! It took me almost the entire first 5 minutes to get here to you. Come on!" Matt grabbed her hand and raced towards where a light shown, down a dark hallway. Though it was complete darkness, and Ray was still scared, now she knew not to be. Matt was with her, as well as Coronamon and Gabumon. That was all she needed.

They ran together, not talking, just going as fast as they could down the long hallway. It felt a lot longer than 5 minutes, but she could see the doorway that Matt had come through. It was closing, and fast. There was only a couple of feet of space left. Ray pushed Matt and Gabumon through the doorway, and he got through. Coronamon went and Ray jumped after them. The door closed right after she jumped through. She rolled out, literally. The breath was knocked out of her as she rolled over and over, eventually knocking into Matt.

She looked up at his face, and smiled sheepishly at landing against him. Ray got up quickly, and brushed herself off, grateful to finally be out of the dark. Both figuratively and literally.

"That was way too close," Ray commented, glancing back behind her. Instead of seeing a wall with a door, all she saw was open land. There was nothing behind her, as if they had just imagined everything they had been through.

"Ray, I'm glad you're alright," Coronamon murmured from her side.

She glanced at her partner and had never been more grateful for him than that moment right there. Ray knelt down and paused for a second before hugging him. It didn't last very long, but that was how the pair worked. They could practically read the other's mind. Coronamon nodded and then the moment was over.

Then she turned to Matt. "Matt, you don't know what that meant to me back there. Without you…I think I would have been stuck there, lost in my own fear, forever," Ray told him, her eyes softening.

He shook his head, and his eyes hardened. "I just helped you see what you were blocking out. You would have gotten out of there. You are too strong not to," Matt replied. "But enough about that, we need to get going. We've got places to be remember?"

Ray nodded, but knew that she could never repay him for what he had done for her. It wasn't just the fact that he had rescued her from the challenge. He made her look at herself in a new way. He made her become a stronger person. And that was something she could never forget. "You're right, let's get going."

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Kari

The morning came all too quickly. Her dreams had been filled with wonderful memories of the Digidestined, including Tai. Waking up just meant facing reality and that wasn't nearly happy as her dreams were. She missed her brother, and she wanted him back; she needed him back. The only comfort was that they were closer to finding him than they had been in the 5 years he had been missing.

TK was already packing up their gear when she awoke, and Sora was mysteriously missing from sight. She stretched and stood, surveying their situation. They had covered plenty of ground and still had enough time to get to the meeting place, as long as they didn't come up on too many more complications.

TK noticed that she had woken up and smiled at her. For the first time, she noticed how sweet and genuine his smile was. "Hey, sleeping beauty has finally awoken. I thought I was going to have to carry you," he commented, laughing. Kari smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, I guess I was exhausted from yesterday," she replied, yawning to prove her point. TK just laughed again and shook his head, going back to his work. Kari was glad that she could go back to silence. The words of Megadramon kept coming back to her…

"_He—is sorry, for what has happened. When you pass, tell the guards- this phrase 'The sun shines- in the day, but the stars break through the dark.' This will-get you, and only you, directly-past them. Do not-tell anyone about this. This was meant-for only you. Good-bye, Kari, Digidestined of Light." _What did that mean? Why was it meant for only her? Why not the others?

Could it be a message from Tai?

No, she thought, it couldn't be. There must be some other kind of reason. Maybe it had to do with her being the Digidestined of Light? Whatever the reason, Kari had a feeling that they were going to find out really soon.

Sora and Biyomon came back a few minutes later, but from the look on her face, Kari knew not to push. She just hoped her friend was going to be ok. Things had been hard for Sora ever since Tai left, they were so close after all. Kari put a hand on her shoulder, and after a second, Sora smiled at her.

"I'm ok, Kari, just had to do a little thinking away from here," Sora explained, glancing at Biyomon who patted her hand. Kari nodded, understanding that they all had things they needed to think through during these days. So much had happened.

Within the hour, they were on their way, hopefully headed towards Tai. Soon, they came to what Kari had hoped wouldn't be there. Two guards stood in front of one door, but next to them there was open for them. With a glance at the other two, they walked up to the guards. They were humans, with regular clothes from Earth on, but they had digivices hooked to their belts and a digimon next to them, and a gun with each of them. They were definitely protecting something important.

Kari stepped up. "Uh, hi, my name's Kari, and we have to get through here, to get to our friends," she told them, using her most sincere and sweet voice she could. The two guards, both male with short cropped hair and easily a foot taller than her, looked down at her and shook their heads.

"Only one may enter here, and they will know what to do to be able to pass through. The others must pass through that doorway, and face unknown challenges," said the guard on the right. Kari was afraid that they were going to say that.

TK stepped up beside her, and looked at her curiously. "Any idea what that means?" he asked her. She nodded, but didn't say anything to him.

Kari took a deep breath. "The sun shines in the day, but the stars break through the dark," she said, repeating the words Megadramon had told her. The two guards looked at each other then stepped aside, gesturing for her to pass through the door. Gatomon looked up at her in surprise, but said nothing. Her partner trusted her to make the right choices for both of them.

"Kari, how did you know that?" TK asked, his eyes wide.

"Megadramon told me. I need to go through here, TK. I don't know what's beyond this door, but I know that the next step to getting my brother back is beyond it, and I'll do whatever I need to in order to get there. If I have to go alone, then I will," Kari said, determination in her voice. "And I won't be talked out of it." She added the last part when she saw TK start to protest. Gatomon stood beside her, obviously as determined to do this as her partner.

Sora stepped up beside her. "I'm not going to stop you, but are you sure you want to do this? I'll support whatever you do," she asked. Kari just looked at her and nodded. "Well, be careful. If anything happened to you, I don't know what I'd do." Sora pulled her into a hug that lasted a few seconds, and Kari was grateful for a friend like her. They let go and Kari turned to TK and they stood there for a second.

"Kari, I wish I could go with you, but I know you can take care of yourself and I'm not going to stop you from doing something you are obviously so determined to do. I just want you to be careful. You're my best friend, and…" TK said, not finishing his sentence.

Kari didn't say anything, but she decided to be bold. She didn't know if she would see him for a very long time, so the time was now or never. Kari took his hand, and pulled him to her. "I understand," she said, before pressing her lips to his. She lingered there, savoring the feel of his soft lips under hers for the very first time. His hand drifted up to her neck and cupped it. After what seemed like hours, but was less than a minute, they broke apart. "I'll be careful." She nodded to Gatomon and they turned and walked through the doorway, stepping into the darkness. The guards stepped inside after her, and the door shut, cutting her off from the world. "I'll come back to you, TK."

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I hope you like this story, please review as I really enjoy them, and thanks again for reading! Love you guys!


	10. Chapter 10

_I don't own digimon…grrr _

I figured because you'll probably want to know what happened with Kari, I'll start with her POV. You're welcome:)

Ch. 10

Kari

The tunnel stretched, unending and silent. The darkness surrounded her, but it didn't scare her. The light from within her warmed her and helped her to get through it. Finally after what felt like hours, the tunnel came to an end. She stepped outside to warm air blowing over her, making it feel a bit like home. Kari looked around, and she could see tents in the distance all over the green hills. She knew at once that it was primary village, but the once beautiful place had turned into a camp. The buildings were no longer there, and she couldn't see the dots that would be the eggs.

But her gaze drifted towards the nearest hill. Two figures stood up on top, one obviously a much shorter digimon. They both wore cloaks with their hoods up. Instantly, Kari knew this was who had asked her here and she needed to go see them. After standing for a minute, her legs carried her of their own will towards the figures. She walked slowly, preparing herself for anything, but knowing in her heart who they were.

She and Gatomon came to the top of the hill and the four stood for a second, before they lowered their hoods. Kari and her partner both gasped, looking at the two they hadn't seen in five years. Not wasting another moment, she ran at him and tackled him, hugging the life out of him.

"Tai," she breathed, talking to her brother for the first time in 5 years.

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TK

He was stunned to say the least. Sure, at times he had thought that he and Kari could be more than friends, and he liked her a lot more than he let on, but he never thought that she could like him back. When she kissed him…it was like all of it clicked in place at once. He loved his best friend.

But as important as that was, there were other things that he needed to focus on. How her lips felt….No, he needed to focus on getting past the wall. TK turned to Sora, Biyomon, and especially Patamon, and she was smirking at him with a glint in her eye. "Don't. Say. A. Word," he told her in that 'I know what you're thinking' voice.

"I wasn't going to," Sora replied, smiling even broader. All of the Digidestined had been saying for years that they should be a couple. TK and Kari had both denied it, saying that they were just friends and that was all they would ever be. Apparently, they didn't know themselves as well as their friends did. Either that, or they had just been denying the obvious for as long as they could remember.

"Whatever. Anyways, we have to go through the door now, so we should be prepared for whatever is thrown at us. I have a bad feeling about it," TK said glancing back at the wooden door. Even though it was a plain wooden door, it practically oozed trouble.

Patamon flew up to his shoulder. "We're tough, we can do it. Let's go!" he yelled. TK laughed at his partner, glad that at least one of them was excited to face the danger that lied ahead. Sora laughed with him, and then they were moving towards the door. TK opened the wooden door and was faced with a long hallway. It stretched on and on as if it was never ending.

"Well, let's go, then," TK gulped, taking a tentative step forward. Patamon flew ahead of them to check things out but then the door shut, sealing them in complete darkness.

"TK? Where are you?" came Sora's voice. He reached back behind him with his hand, and found hers. She grasped it firmly and gave it a squeeze. "Kari's not going to get jealous, right?" TK felt his face heat up but said nothing as she laughed. It was so absurd because Sora was like his sister and Kari was…Kari. She could never get jealous or mad if she tried.

Patamon came flying back and knocked into TK, almost making him fall down. "Hey, watch where you're flying. No more ok? Just ride on my shoulder," TK told him and right after he felt his right shoulder sag with extra weight. "Have you been sneaking extra rice balls during dinner, Patamon?" They laughed and he was glad that he could keep the mood light even though it was a very serious time.

"I take offense to that!" objected Patamon. Before anyone could say anything more, a light appeared in front of them and within a minute of walking, they reached an open circular chamber.

Two digimon stood in the center, waiting for them, it seemed. Still holding Sora's hand, more for strength than anything, they walked tentatively to meet the two. When they got about four feet away, the digimon held up their hands for them to stop.

"We are the guardians assigned to the wall and the ones who administer your tests. I am Grademon, the Golden Meteor," the one who had the double swords and blue cape said.

"And I am Mistymon, and we will determine if you pass or fail these tests. The only way you may proceed beyond this wall, is if you pass. Otherwise, you are not worthy to see the Leader," the other digimon continued. TK looked at Sora, who was white as a sheet. He gave her a soft look and she gave him a smile, or he assumed it was. It seemed more like a twitch of the mouth.

"I'm ready if you guys are," TK commented looking between the members of his group.

Biyomon came and stood next to Sora. "Don't worry, Sora, I'll be right there with you the whole time," the bird told her. Sora looked down at her partner and this time there was a real smile on her face. She nodded.

"And I'm always ready to do anything with you, TK," Patamon confirmed, flapping his wings. TK turned back to the pair of digimon and nodded.

"We're ready. Throw whatever test or challenge you've got at us," TK told them, sounding more confident than he felt.

"You will be tested in two groups, one of you and one of your digimon per group. There is no other way to do it, so do not protest. It will be over your greatest fears and your deepest hopes, so prepare yourself. One of your friends had a very hard time with their challenge," Grademon explained. TK scrunched his eyes, and he heard Sora take a short breath. Who could it be? Ray or Matt? He just hoped that they both passed and would meet them tomorrow.

TK looked back at Sora to make sure this was still alright with her and she nodded. "I'll do anything to get past this wall and get Tai back," she replied to his silent question. He nodded, trusting her completely. They both turned to the digimon and nodded. Patamon's wings settled on his shoulder, and the pair of digimon walked towards them, drawing their swords. They chanted and drew a circle around each of the two. Blue mist surrounded TK and Patamon, and within a few seconds, Sora, Biyomon, and the guardians were no where to be found within the blue mist. After a few minutes, the mist cleared away. He was no longer in the open chamber with Sora. Instead, he was inside a glass room. The walls were all glass around him, and he could see outside. It felt like he was inside a display case for all to see. Especially when people were all staring at him. When he looked closer, he realized it was his friends looking at him. They surrounded the four walls, and at first, TK though they were there to rescue him, but then, one by one they started to leave.

First, Yoli and Cody left. He heard the words as they turned away. "You never could do anything on your own. You always had to have help," they said, turning away from him and leaving him.

Then, Ken and Davis left him. "You were never quite as good as us. You were always the last resort," they told him. TK ran towards them and hit the glass wall. He banged on the glass, desperate to get out and try and reason with them.

"No! I always tried to be like you guys and make you proud! I did the best that I could," he yelled, but they didn't hear him. They continued walking away without looking back.

Patamon was next to him, flapping his wings. "Don't worry, TK, I'm right here. I'll never leave you," the digimon told him. TK smiled weakly at him. Although his partner was trying to help, his fears were coming to life, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He was helpless.

Then, Mimi, Joe, and Izzy walked away. "You were just that little kid that got in the way. You always whined about everything and never could really help us. You were just in the way," they commented without emotion. The trio walked away quickly and TK just watched them go.

After that, Sora and Tai turned away from him too. His heart stung at that. Those two were like his older brother and sister, always there for him no matter what. "You could never match up to Kari in our eyes. Matt was the only reason you were kept around," they stated, walking off hand in hand.

Last, there was only Matt and Kari left. The two he always could count on, no matter what happened to him or because of him. They started to turn away, but TK couldn't take it any more. "No! You two would never do that to me! I may have been that annoying little brother to you, Matt, but you never turned your back on me. I know that you would never do that," he exclaimed. He took in a shallow breath. This couldn't be happening. He couldn't let this happen. They wouldn't leave him, and he knew it. "Kari! You have been my best friend, my love, and my confident for as long as I can remember. I have always counted on you for advice and to just talk to. I love you, and I know you would never turn away from me. Everything that everyone has said is wrong. They would never think or say that. They are my friends, and I know that I might have been a crybaby at first, but they loved me all the same. I grew up. I was stronger. I was and am an important member of the team. I tried my best, and if they can't appreciate that, then they aren't real friends. I want to do my best and I have."

Kari and Matt turned back towards him and smiled. One by one, his friends returned to him. The glass case was lifted away from him, and he was surrounded in a group hug from his friends. They wrapped him in their arms and he felt safe and loved, the two things he knew he could always count on from his friends, even if it was just an illusion.

Suddenly, the scene and his friends' arms were gone. In front of him was a line of trees and a grassy plain in front of him. Turning around, he saw that the wall was now behind him. TK could have jumped for joy; he had passed the test! Patamon flew around him, flapping his wings joyfully. "You did it TK! I never had any doubts that you would!" he proclaimed. TK grabbed the paws of Patamon and spun in a circle.

A thought grabbed him and he stopped. Sora wasn't out here yet. She hadn't passed her test yet. "Patamon, Sora and Biyomon aren't out here," he stated, suddenly deflated. They stopped spinning and glanced around. They should be out here soon, shouldn't they? He hoped so….Sora was strong, and Biyomon was there to help her. He didn't know what he would do if she didn't pass.

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Sora

The moment the mist surrounded her, fear overtook her. She wasn't ready for whatever was coming. She would fail and let down all her friends. But luckily Biyomon was there and she kept her calm. They would face the challenge together.

When the mist cleared, Sora found herself at the mall but no one was around her. She sat at a bench with only Biyomon there. She glanced around and people walked right past her without looking at her once. At first it was simply people she had met in passing ignoring her. But then it was her friends. The first ones ignored her, but then TK and Kari walked by holding hands and stopped in front of her.

"We've found love, aren't you happy for us? Oh, right, you don't feel anything. You never have cared about us and you never will. You aren't able to," TK told her, laughing. They moved on, leaving Sora stunned. This was her fear from back in the Digiworld. She wasn't able to love. Her friends were so sympathetic towards each other, but she only felt muted emotions for everyone.

Matt walked by and stood in front of her, his eyes cold. "We could have been great, but you were never emotional. You never cared for me and you never could. You only thought you did because everyone seemed to like me. You're heartless," he spat, looking at her with disgust.

Sora would have yelled at him, but she found what he was saying to be true. She chose him because he seemed like a good option. Caring, good-looking, well off, it was everything that someone could want in a guy. But as much as she tried, there just wasn't a connection between them. Maybe it had been her….

The last one to walk up to her was Tai. He stood there for a second, and he looked the same as the day he left, with his shaggy hair and his chocolate brown eyes. "Tai…" she whispered, barely speaking his name.

He shook his head. Biyomon put her wing on Sora's shoulder. "Come on, Sora. What they said isn't true. Just think about who loves you and who you love. The answer is right in front of you!" she told her.

Sora glanced up and felt her heart swell. Its true. She loved him. She loved Tai Kamiya and that's all there was too it. "Tai, don't say anything. What they said isn't true, and I know it, because I've been in love with you ever since we were kids on the soccer field," she told him. He nodded and Sora stood up, hugging him. He was the answer to her fears. She had always feared he wouldn't like her, but had dreamed her would. When she met the real Tai, she would find out her answer and she wasn't scared any more. Either way, he would be back in her life and that was enough for her.

The second she thought that, the scene around her changed and she was out in the open grassy plains with a forest in front of her. Before she could take it all in, TK was hugging her. "You did it! We've been waiting out here for forever!" he exclaimed, letting her go.

"TK, its only been a couple of minutes," Patamon retorted, joining them.

TK laughed and shrugged. "Yeah, but it seemed like a long time because I was worried about them!" he replied, smiling. They all laughed, glad to be out of the challenges and moving on towards their goal of Primary village and getting back to Kari. "Now, lets get back to the goal at hand: Primary Village, Kari, and Tai." Sora nodded, excited to get back on the move and one step closer to Tai.

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Kari

"Tai," she whispered. He nodded into the hug and she pulled back, taking him in. His hair was shaggier than she had seen it in the past, but it made him look older. He was tanner and more muscular than before too, but Kari saw the Tai she remembered caring for her when she was sick and putting her before everything else.

"Kari, oh how I've missed you," he spoke, his voice soft. He gave her a questioning look, as if asking if she was mad at him.

Kari shook her head. How could she be mad at someone she had missed so much? "No, I've missed you so much and I don't care that you left. All that matters is that you are here with me and I get to see you. You don't know how much I've missed these past few years," she explained, smiling at him.

Tai smiled at her. "Kari, you never did get mad at me, no matter what I did. I'm so sorry I left, but it was necessary. And I'll explain it all when you get to camp," he told her, gesturing back at the tents set up in Primary Village. She nodded, and he brought her to him with on arm, keeping it around her shoulders. Although she couldn't have been farther from Japan, she felt more at home here in her brothers arms than she had in five years.

I hope you like this story, please review as I really enjoy them, and thanks again for reading! Love you guys! Aren't you glad I posted a lot sooner this time? And I gave you a glimpse of Tai? If you want to say thank you, you could do it by reviewing, hint hint;)


	11. Chapter 11

_Hey guys! I'm glad that it was only a little over a month for this update! I really like this chapter, so I hope you guys do too! Please review and let me know what you think and what you want to see in the upcoming chapters. I'll try and update faster next time, but no promises! Just don't lose faith!_

_I don't own Digimon!_

Ch. 11

Matt

The third day had finally arrived and they were only a few hours away from PrimaryVillage. He and Ray had made up a lot of ground, resting and walking off and on. Within a few hours, they made it to a hill overlooking where PrimaryVillage lay just beyond. The sun was high in the sky, but surprisingly it wasn't burning Matt as one would think. Maybe it was the anticipation, or maybe it just wasn't hot. The grass hill wasn't so much as a hill as it was a mini mountain. It blocked his entire view of the village from the bottom, hiding it as though it was in its own little world. It built the anticipation to where he was practically bursting with it, his heart pounding, although he wasn't showing it.

They stopped at the bottom of the hill, resting before making the climb. "I can't believe we're here. Over this hill could be Tai," Matt breathed. He hadn't realized how much he had missed Tai and how much he had counted on him. They had been best friends, even though they fought all the time. Tai was missed by him, and everyone else. This could be the day they get him back.

"We should wait for the others, before we go up. I just have this feeling that we should do this together," Ray commented, looking up at the hill as though she was convincing herself not to go on without them. Matt nodded and glanced back the way they came from but didn't see anyone yet. They sat down at the bottom of the hill and talked. It was strange, in Matt's mind, to have his goal so close but to just sit and talk with someone and not try and reach the goal just yet. Even though that goal was what he had wanted for so long, sitting and talking with Ray made him forget about the goal for just a little bit and that scared him.

He brought out his harmonica that he had from his first adventure to the Digiworld and played a little tune. When he had first packed for this trip, he didn't know why he put it in there, as he hadn't touched it in years, but Matt was drawn to it. Ray stared at him and once he was done playing, he gave her a questioning look.

"That was beautiful," Ray said, her voice sounding awed. "I wonder what other hidden talents you have."

Footsteps sounded behind him, crunching the grass. Matt spun around from where he was sitting and about 20 feet away were Sora and TK, looking the same as they had just a few days ago. His face brightened as he saw them and TK ran towards him and hugged him. He had never missed his brother so much and been so glad to see them.

"TK! You made it!" he exclaimed, pulling back to look at his brother. He looked tired and worn out, but it would seem nothing too bad had happened to him. But he did see a change in his mannerisms. There was something about the way that he held himself that made it seem like he had finally grown up and he was confident in who he was. "But, where is Kari?" Matt remembered when Myotismon took Kari from Matt and he couldn't believe Kari would be gone again. If they saw Tai, what would he think? He had failed to protect Tai's sister once again if she was gone for good.

TK's face fell and glanced back towards the way he had just come. "We came upon two doors yesterday, when all three of us were together. There were two guards standing outside of one door and Kari seemed to know exactly what was happening. She went through the door and then the door disappeared and there was no way to go after her. I have no idea where she went, only that she felt that it was the next step to getting to find Tai," he explained, obvious pain in his voice. There was something else though. As he talked, Matt could see a blush rising up TK's face. It clicked in his mind. Kari and him were finally together. But he wasn't going to say anything. It was TK's place when to tell him the news, but Matt couldn't help but feel overjoyed for his little brother.

"Well, we'll have to hope for the best. Kari is strong and she is smart. I know her and if she thought the best move was to go through that door, then it was. I trust her judgment and I know we'll see her again," Ray spoke up, her voice laced with sadness. Matt had forgotten that she knew Kari before hand and they were friends. She would be just as upset as any of them were at losing Kari.

Matt nodded and TK seemed to relax just a bit. Ray was someone that they could trust to make a good, sound decision and make sense. "As much fun as this is to catch up, I believe we have a hill to climb and a village to get to, so let's go," Sora cut in, looking eagerly to towards the hill before them. Matt could tell that even though they had only stood there for a few minutes, she was impatient to go see what was beyond them. Her goal was in sight and she was going to reach it. They all nodded and picked up their bags. Matt and TK caught up while climbing the hill, comparing stories and finally his little brother shared the story of his kiss with Kari.

"Well, I always figured it would be her to make the first move, so it doesn't surprise me," Matt commented, smiling and elbowing his brother. TK rolled his eyes at him, but laughed anyways.

They stopped talking as the incline increased. Matt had to focus on breathing normally and pushing himself up the hill. He focused on the goal ahead of him and kept his mind centered on the fact that he could finally find Tai.

It took about a half hour to climb the hill. But in the end, it was well worth it. PrimaryVillage in the past had been a peaceful place, where it was the beginning of new life. It symbolized new beginnings for everyone. It had transformed from that, to an all out busy, war zone. There were tents lined up one after another, forming a big U around what looked to be the source of a bonfire that wasn't lit. One big tent was at the center of the U, which was probably the leader's tent. Outside of the U there was the biggest tent, probably the place where they ate food. There was a big open space which looked like a training area. People were flowing from one tent to another, standing in a big group, or traveling with just their partner digimon. That was the strange part. Everyone had a partner digimon. Adults, children, teenagers, and even the older folks had partners.

"This…is amazing!" Ray exclaimed. Her face had lit up like a child's on Christmas day. Matt remembered that she hadn't seen the Digiworld but this one time, and seeing this place had to be a whole new experience for her. He smiled just looking at her happy face. He was glad that this sight was something that pleased her.

Sora didn't even waste time saying anything. She set off down the hill. The hill was smaller on this side, and only dipped a small bit. Matt didn't hesitate to run after her, laughing like a five year old chasing a butterfly. They arrived at the back of the U-shaped tent set up, near the leader's tent. There were guards waiting with their digimon, as if they had expected them. Within seconds, the entire group had made it and now stood in front of the guards. Matt expected them to say something but they merely stood and waited. He suspected that if any of them moved, the guards would defend their home from them, which was what he would expect from them.

Matt decided to speak up for the group. "Yeah, hello, we are looking-," Matt started, but the guard raised a hand to stop him.

"Wait one moment. Our leader will be out to greet you, but meanwhile, please stay here," the bigger guard said. Matt nodded and they waited. The sounds around him seemed to fade away. No one talked in the time that they waited. It seemed as though they were holding their breath the entire five minutes they waited at the base of the hill. Finally, movement happened. The guards moved aside from the back opening of the tent and two figures stood in the shadows.

Matt's breath hitched a bit as the first figure stepped out into the light. It was Kari, with her smiling face and shining eyes. She looked the same as when he had left her with TK and Sora, but there was one difference. Everything about her had brightened: her face, her stance, her demeanor. It was as if her entire life had flipped around and the sun was shining on her once again.

"Kari," Matt heard from his side. TK. He stepped forward just as she did and they met in the middle in an embrace. They fit perfectly, two who were so in love and so close that there was nothing to keep them apart. He smiled at the couple as they broke apart and spoke shushed words. They turned back towards the rest of the group, but kept their hands entwined and Kari smiled at them also.

"Hey guys, how was your trip? I'm sure we have so much to catch up on and share, but I think that I have the biggest thing to share, so I'll go first," Kari told them. She let go of TK's hand and stepped back towards the tent. Matt heard her whisper something to the figure, but he didn't hear the specific words. She reached her hand and grabbed the figures hand and pulled them out.

Matt could've gasped, or fainted, or had a heart attack, but he didn't do any of that. It wasn't a surprise to him. He had a feeling that the leader would be him. It made sense and it connected with all of the clues that had been provided. He always was a natural leader.

Tai.

He was the first one to react. Matt could tell that Tai was leery of them and seemed to expect an angry reaction to seeing him. Matt stepped forward and stood in front of Tai for a moment. He had changed. Not just in looks, but in how he presented himself. He wasn't a cocky, arrogant boy any more. He was a responsible, reliable leader. He deserved the crest of courage.

"I should punch you. It's what we would have done as kids," Matt commented. Tai shrugged and opened his arms as he anticipated the punch. "We aren't kids any more." Matt pulled him into a hug and smiled into his shoulder. Tai didn't react for a moment, and stiffened, but eventually hugged him back.

They pulled back and Tai smiled at him. "It's good to see you. All of you," Tai declared, looking at the group. "I've already caught up with Kari, but it will be good to talk with all of you again. It's been a long time. Too long. I would invite you inside my tent, but there are a few security questions and a security check for the safety of my people. You'll be provided with a tag, watch, and a schedule. You'll be asked to give up something of value to you as to provide sorts of exchange. It's just a formality, as I trust you completely, but the camp rules require it and I cannot favor you more than anyone else."

Tai really had grown up. He wasn't as rash and impulsive. He had planned his camp to benefit everyone and also be protected from those inside of it and those outside. Matt was impressed. He wouldn't have pegged Tai for being this responsible, even if they had grown up.

Tai turned to Ray. "Ray, it's nice to see you again. I'm glad you decided to join me here after all, however short of a stay it may be. We'll have to discuss things after you are processed. I'd like to hear more of your story," Tai commented. Ray seemed to understand him and nodded. Matt looked at her questioningly, but she shook her head. He had a feeling it was something to do with her father and her tough past. Jealousy flared in him when he thought that Tai might know more about Ray than he did, but then he shut that down before it became something worse than it really was. He knew Ray and he knew what she had trusted to him. He trusted her to tell him as much of the truth as she thought he should know. That was enough for him.

They were led to a tent on the other side of the U, next to the opening. It was rather small, about the size of a horse stall and only fit about two people maybe three. They went one by one, starting with TK, then Sora and Ray, and finally him. He stepped inside and there was a brown table with a book sitting on it and ink, along with scissors. A young woman stood behind it, looking back at a book shelf behind her that measured 6 boxes down and 6 boxes across, and they held hundreds of files on the top rows and on the bottom, held separate boxes and cards on the top. The young woman who directed the station couldn't have been older than 25 and he found it strange that he was taking orders on what to do from her.

"Please take off all unnecessary layers of clothing, along with your backpack, and set them on the table." He did so and she came around to stand in front of him and patted him down, all the way to his shoes. It felt weird, and uncomfortable, but she didn't seem to notice and kept going with her job. Once she deemed he was clean, she sorted through his belongings, emptying out his backpack. "We will need one item of yours to keep here until you leave. You may switch items at any time, but it must belong to you, and you must have something kept on record at all times. This is just to secure that you won't leave without warning and we have something to keep of yours," she continued once all of his belongings were out of his pack.

Matt looked carefully at each of his belongings. Obviously he couldn't give her his two extra sets of clothes and he couldn't give her his digivice. There was his harmonica, but since he had played it for Ray, he had wanted to play it again for her and see what she thought. He had a picture of the first Digidestined and their digimon from the first adventure, and as useless as it was, he couldn't part with it. It brought back some of his fondest memories from years ago. Finally, he came to his decision. He had a compass that was given to him by Tai. Now that Tai was back, he didn't need that as his connection to his friend any more. Matt slid it towards her. "This is what I choose," he told her. She nodded and pulled a small box out from the cabinet behind her and opened it, sticking it inside. It fit perfectly, as if it was made for him.

"Last step is to give your finger print and a small hair sample. This is for identification incase you decide to break one of our rules, commit a crime, or cause any trouble. It will keep us from getting the wrong person identified," she explained, her voice very neutral. He nodded, already having figured that's what was going to happen. He picked up the scissors and reached towards the underneath his hair and cut off a piece of his hair. It struck him as funny, because back home, the fan girls would almost kill for a lock of his hair. He stamped his thumb print down on a piece of paper and she motioned for him to go.

Tai was waiting for him outside the tent. The others seemed to have disappeared somewhere because when Matt looked around but couldn't see them anywhere.

"Everyone's in the Mess Tent, eating and getting to know the people of our makeshift town. I wanted to talk with you though. I've talked with Kari, and gotten caught up on her life, but from what I gathered from her was that I saddled you with a lot of burdens. I'd like to hear what you have to say, but first I want to say I'm sorry," Tai told him, shooting him a small smile. Matt looked at him, and then threw a fist at his face, punching him square in the jaw, granted it wasn't as hard as he probably deserved. Tai didn't even try to dodge his punch, but took it like a man. Then, pulled him into a hug.

"I know I said we weren't kids any more, but you really deserved that one," he explained, shrugging.

Tai nodded and smiled. "I know. I expected a lot worse from you to be honest. I probably would have done a lot worse if the situations had been reversed, but I always was the rash one," he commented. Matt studied him and found he liked the person Tai had become. This leadership position had been good for him, that much was obvious.

"Tai, lets skip right to my first question. Are you coming back, and going to take over the DigiDestined again?" he asked abruptly. It was the question that had been plaguing him since he found out that they had a chance of finding Tai.

Tai didn't answer but turned away, towards the sun that was on its way to setting. It terrified him of what his answer was going to be. Either way, he was going to lose, but which was he more willing to lose? His leadership, or his friend?


	12. Chapter 12

_Hey guys, I know that its a bit late for an update, but I was so busy with everything! It's a bit of a short chapter, but I am working on getting a bit faster at updates, and I wanted to get this chapter to you as soon as possible. Each chapter is going to feature the relationship between Tai and the other characters, so here's the first one! I hope you guys like it! Please review with what questions you want to be asked by each character, because it will help me decide what you want to hear. _

_I don't own Digimon, unfortunately. :(_

* * *

><p>Ch. 12<p>

Tai (Finally right?)

His friends had finally arrived, or at least he hoped that they were still his friends. From what had had gathered, they still accepted him, but his fears for the last five years had been that they would no longer see him the way they once had: as a leader and as their friend.

Tai wanted to talk with Kari first, alone, because she was the one he had to apologize to the most. He was her brother and was supposed to protect her, and yet, he had left her there on her own. He knew that he was going to leave, yet he didn't tell her. He kept his secrets, and formed his own plan. At the time, it was what he thought was best, but now, Tai didn't know if it had been. She had described her life in the war and how everyone was doing, but mostly, she kept to her life. He wanted to get back those years he had lost. Tai had missed her more than anything. She might have been his baby sister, but Kari was the one person he could talk to and trust and she would never judge him for it. There was no one like her and Tai could never ask for a better sister. She had also informed him of the little situation that had happened, before his guards had led her to him, with TK. Tai couldn't control his laughter or his smile. It had been threatening to happen for years, and he felt good that the final push had been because of him.

"You were dead set on it not happening, and yet, you were the one to instigate it! I always knew, and so did everyone else. I'm happy for you," Tai had told her, pulling her into a hug for what seemed like the millionth time, but was never enough. He missed his little sister every day, wishing he could protect her from the dangers he knew were happening in the real world.

Since that first conversation, he hadn't been able to stop smiling, and now, some of the other Digidestined came also. Some of his people had even commented on his mood being better since his sister came and brought news of the others. They weren't used to seeing the serious, hard Tai being so happy and free. It was more like the old him, and it would seem like they liked it better. The experiences of his past had hardened him, but his old self was breaking through cracks that appeared because of his friends.

The people in his camp also brightened because of his friends. They were new faces and new attitudes. Recently, the demeanor of the camp had been dampened because it didn't feel like they would ever be ready to play a big part in the war. But this was a sign that peace was coming, and they would be the ones to deliver it. They had trained and trained for years for this day, and it was approaching fast. Tai just hoped that he had prepared his people for it.

Today was the day. The Digidestined were together, more or less, once again. And Matt asked him the toughest question of all. "Tai, lets skip right to my first question. Are you coming back, and going to take over the Digidestined again?" The question posed more than a yes or no answer. It was more complicated than that.

"Matt, I can't answer you right now. There are things I'm not allowed to share with you just yet, and I can't tell you one way or the other. The one thing I can tell you is that I am coming back to Earth. We're coming back to Earth. For good. I can't promise that I'll stay or be around all that often, but I can promise that I won't ever leave without letting everyone know first," Tai told him. He wished he could tell him everything, but it wasn't in the plan just yet. Matt still had a part to play in stopping the war, and if he knew everything, it wouldn't work the right way. The situations had to be just right.

Matt sighed and turned away from him. Tai touched his shoulder and looked at his friend with questioning eyes. Matt shook his head, and waited for a second, seemingly thinking things through. "You left us. You gave no explanation or warning. Why? How could you know about the war before it happened?" he questioned.

Tai sighed and this time he stepped back and looked out across his camp sight. People came and went from each tent, working and training, never stopping. The sun was going down, as beautiful as the first time he had ever seen it in the Digiworld. He hadn't thought about the sun back home before, but today he wondered if it was as beautiful as this one right here or if it didn't compare. He hadn't seen the sun from the real world since the last time he had gotten new recruits, which was, in the Digiworld, over a year ago. "I was warned, yes. I knew what was coming and I planned ahead to the best of my ability. Things were set in motion before I even knew what was happening. Those who warned me told me everything they could, but warned me that no one else, besides Agumon, could know. I fought them, for a long time about that. But they proved what could happen if I told you. So I left you hints, I said my good-bye's in the best way I could, and I left. I left to protect you guys," Tai explained, hoping the answer was good enough. He wasn't an emotional person but tears threatened to spill over. Five years was a long time to mull things over and regret his decisions. It was a long time to be away from friends and family.

Matt turned to him, his eyes wide. Apparently he wasn't expecting the answer Tai had given him. "To protect us? With you, we could and would have stayed together. We could have been the Digidestined again. We'd saved the world once, and with you, we could do it again. But you left. Can you not even give me a full answer? Can you not give me the truth without mystery?" Matt growled.

Tai didn't know what to say. He couldn't tell him everything, but he couldn't keep these secrets from Matt or he would risk their already declining friendship. He looked up to the skies and let out a yell. Turning to Matt, he frowned. "I want to tell you everything. I want to let it all out and tell my best friend about what I was thinking and why I did what I did. But I can't. And that frustrates me so much. Of all people, I should be able to tell you everything, and yet you play such a big part in all this, that I can't do that without jeopardizing what I've been working towards for five years," Tai tried again. He hoped Matt would understand and forgive him. Not only for not being able to tell everything, but for leaving him at the worst possible moment.

"Who is it that's keeping you from telling me all this? I'll personally beat the shit out of them," Matt asked. He sounded dead serious, but there was a slight smile on his face. The pair might have their troubles, but they would always be brothers through thick and thin. Maybe not in blood, but in heart.

"I'm sorry, Matt. For everything. Eventually, we'll be able to talk about everything. But for now, I regret to say, I can't tell you everything," Tai said, smiling a bit. Matt nodded, his version of an acceptance to the apology.

"What about the tests that we had to go through? What was that all about?" he questioned accusingly. Tai assumed that the round of questions would get to this, but at least he could tell him everything about this and not keep any secrets from his best friend.

"I had to make sure you all were ready. Remember back in our first adventure? When you doubted your crest of friendship and Sora doubted her crest of love? I had to make sure you guys could face your fears and that you were ready to do whatever it takes to end the war. You all passed through it, and faced whatever your biggest fear is. It was a test of will, to make sure that you could get through whatever challenge given to you. Actually, it wasn't my idea, but I agree with those who told me that I should test you," Tai explained, shrugging. He knew his friends would pass the test, but it wasn't just for his benefit, but for theirs. They needed to know they could face anything, even if they were alone. He nudged Matt with his elbow. "And, my test seems to have brought you and Ray together, if I might add." Matt choked on air, coughing and turning away, but not before Tai saw the red creep up Matt's face.

"No. We're friends. Good friends. I've only known her a few days so we hardly know anything about each other," Matt explained his face turned away from Tai. There was more to the story than that, and Tai wasn't going to let it go.

He walked around to stand in front of his friend and raised an eyebrow. "I might have not seen you for five years, but I still know you Matt. You might be closed off to everyone else, but I can read you like a book. You like her, a lot. Three days together, day and night, can equal months in reality. You're both pretty serious, but also have a soft side. You compliment each other," he commented. He had talked with Ray for a bit when he recruited from her country. She was very serious about her work, and cared more about them than herself. There was a dark side to her, but she never let her fears show. She was tough and wouldn't let anyone push her around. Her friends mattered to her more than anything. She doubted herself at times, but in the end, always did what was right for everyone. Just like Matt.

Matt shrugged but said nothing. He looked across the pathway, and Tai could see Ray talking with Kari, Sora, and TK. She seemed happy, the digimon behind them. He looked back at Matt and could see that they would be good for each other. Tai knew that it would take a lot to happen for Matt to ask her out though. His best friend was all about business, but there wasn't time for that. Not now. Tai might just have to take things into his own hands.

"You're about as much of friends as TK and Kari, who are apparently together now," Tai commented. They both smiled, looking upon their younger siblings, who stood holding hands. The two complimented each other, and even though Tai would need to have a talk with TK about his little sister, there was nothing to worry about. TK would never harm his sister, because TK had always put her first.

Matt nodded and glanced over at Tai. There was a glint in his eyes that Tai had forgotten his friend did. It was like he knew something that Tai didn't know. "And are you going to make your move on Sora now?" he asked, cautiously, laughing slightly. Tai's eyes widened in surprise. Of course he had always had strong feelings for Sora, but he didn't think anyone would notice. At first it was merely friendship. They had known each other since they were kids and had always been close. But then it turned to something else, something he couldn't identify until it was too late. Matt had gotten the girl, so he let his feelings go. Until now. He assumed Matt wouldn't want Tai to go after Sora, since the two had gone out before, but that didn't seem to be the case. "You two would make a good couple, better than we ever did." That was Matt's way of giving him a blessing. It meant the world to Tai. He had to let Sora know how he felt before it was too late. He didn't want to regret anything when all of this was over and done with.

"I'll tell her how I feel….if you tell Ray you like her," Tai told him, smiling. Matt narrowed his eyes at Tai. They both stared at each other for a few minutes, never breaking the look. Finally Matt looked away.

He sighed. "I'll do that….if you agree to come back and see everyone as soon as we get back to the real world. First stop," Matt countered.

Tai had planned on seeing them eventually, so this wasn't a big sacrifice to make. He paused for a while and looked down at his friends. He missed them, and he missed the ones that hadn't come"Deal. Last one to do it has to give the other their dessert tonight?" he told him. They shook hands and laughed, as if they were ten years old again.


	13. I'm Back!

Hey guys! So I've decided to continue this story, but I'm going to go back through and changing a few things based on where I want to go with the story now that it's been a few years and the fact that I don't remember where I was going with some of the plot line. So for those of you who are still following this story, I'd advise going back through the story from the beginning.

Also, to those of you who have been following from the beginning and still want to read this, thank you so much! Sorry if you thought this was finally an update, but I hope you'll be excited to start back with me on this! I haven't written in a long time, but I reread the reviews for this and it means so much. I am so excited to get back to writing./p

I will probably update the first chapter within the week after I've made some style changes. I'll try to update every two weeks! Thanks everyone!


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